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EDWARD WIEBE'S 

SERIES OF EDUCATIONAL WORKS. 

No. 1. 



THE 

ALPHA OF EDUCATION 



OR 



How to teach : Speaking, Reading, Writing and Think- 
ing simultaneously and according to the laws of 
human nature. 



by ^j 

Prof, of ancient and modern Languages. 






BROOKLYN: 

OFFICE OF THE LONG-ISLAND ANZEIOER. 

1855. 



<# 



Entered according to Act of Congress in tlie rear 1855. 

by Edward Wiebe, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United 

States for the Southern District of Xew York. 



Printing Office of 

Edw. RoeHR, 

88 Montrose Avenue. 

Brooklyn. 



INSTEAD OF A PREFACE 

DEDICATION. 



To You on whose mind there remains a spot undyed 
by the manufacturing process of common schools * to 
You, whose intellect has not been blunted, or tattoed 
by the cacoethes of the miscalled English spelling, and 
anomolous instruction ; to You, who wish to obey the 
great Doric precept: "Know thyself!" to All those, 
who are foes of darkness, is the present attempt to 
render the learning of language a natural, healthy, 
pleasant task, dedicated. 

Every intelligent child, — and all are so, unless blight- 
ed with a bodily abnormity, or ruined by wanton treat- 
ment, — feels the liveliest interest in all objects of nature 

1* 



4 

and art, that come under its observation. While most 
impressible, with a blank mind, full of curiosity and, re- 
taining in a faithful memory, all that it perceives, the 
poor creature is sent to the shambles of the mind, called 
schools, where it is most carefully imbued with all the 
elements of false views and of bad taste. Instead of re- 
ceiving an instruction suited to its physical, mental, moral 
and esthetic faculties, his body is put to the bench to be 
tortured, his mind is shocked and deadened with inco- 
herent absurdities, his taste is polluted by ungraceful 
sights, sounds, etc. What must then become of the hope- 
ful image of God ? A pedantic, bigoted, canting, timid, 
hypocritic, spelling, parsing, ciphering, simulachre of 
man, either a "good' subject" of an autocrat, or a "mo- 
ney making" citizen of a republic. 
A lady speaks thus on this topic : 

"The stark and senseless row of letters thrust upou 
the child, as soon as it enters the school, can afford 
no pleasure whatever. They excite no idea, they 
awaken no recollection of any pleasing object ever 
before seen, and give no promise of any delight ever 
afterwards to be conferred. They are neither beauty 
to the eyes, nor music to the ears, nor sense to the 
understanding. Teaching the Alphabet first, there- 
fore, and in the common way, only disqualifies the 



child for the correct pronunciation of the great pro- 
portion of the words of our language ; and the more 
perfectly the Alphabet is learned, the more is the 
child disqualified for the next step in his progress. 
The more readily the sound of every letter rises to 
a child's mind, when looking at it in a word, the 
more will he be disposed to pronounce it the way 
that costum calls wrong ; the more flatly, to his 
mind, will the teacher contradict what he had taught 
him before. When the words are analysed into their 
elementary sounds, they utterly disown and belie 
the sounds which children were taught to give to 
the same letters in the Alphabet. According to the 
ordinary method, therefore, as soon as a child passes 
from letters to words, he is required to give new 
sounds to the old letters ; and if he remembers the 
names of the old letters and reproduces them, he is 
corrected. This renders learning not only difficult, 
but disgusting. It alienates the child from study, 
instead of attracting him to it. It makes play more 
delightful than books, because play is conversant 
with real things, while books, when used in such a 
way, are lifeless and repulsive. They are not mere 
impediments to progress but causes of bad mental 
habits." (Mrs. Mann's Primer, Boston 1851.) 



6 

Not hecatombs, but millions of English children fall 
holocausts to the idol of falsehood, enthroned on the 
teacher's desk. Thousands of scholastic cars of Jagger- 
naut are crushing the young germs of truth, morality, 
and good taste, through the whole length and breadth of 
the republican, as well as the royal Empire of the Eng- 
lish and associated nations. That there is not much hope 
of a speedy relentment in this slaughter of the innocent, 
on the part of their educational guardians, may be gath- 
ered from the spirit and character of "The English Spel- 
ling-book" published by the American Society for the 
Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, New York, 1850, 
We read there : 

"After a year of careful investigation, this com- 
mittee presented a report, containing a list of 110 
different spelling-books published in this country 
since 1804 .... These investigations led to inter- 
esting and unexpected discussions and results. The 
immense circulation of these books ; their influence 
upon the mind and character in the incipient stages 
of mental development, and their power to give the 
earliest, the most valuable, and the most lasting 
impressions, in respect to the nature and use of our 
language, have been often and carefully considered. 
The Spelling-book has long been regarded in Eng- 



7 

land, Scotland and the United States, as an almost 
indispensable introduction to a knowledge of our 
language. So extensively has this sentiment pre- 
vailed, that the history of Spelling-books embodies 
no unimportant part of the history of Education ;- — 
they show the progress, which has been made in the 
application of philosophical principles in systems of 
instruction. — One book in England has passed 
through more than 450 editions ! The Spelling book 
is one of the most effective instruments, in develop- 
ing and moulding the youthful mind." 
The great importance of the so-called Spelling-books 
can certainly not be sufficiently extolled. Yet a very 
powerful mental microscope would be sorely puzzled to 
find in this result of so much care that thing, which is 
commonly called progress ; and though it sounds very 
credible that "the child may not derive either pleasure 
or profit from the study, while he is in the Spelling-hook," 
it invites to incredulity to read in the same report : "Yet 
he will in all his future studies find great and permanent 
advantages, resulting from this early instruction in the 
elements of language." 

With the hand on the heart, ask yourself, reader : Is 
no visible genuine improvement, progress ? Is the utter 
want of feeling, which pervades our community, as re- 



8 

gards a full appreciation of what language is, worth the 
name of "great and permanent advantages"? Is mere 
industry in book-making a proof of philosophical prin- 
ciples ? Does the spirit of all that great mass of books 
for children show that their writers even understand 
what elements of language mean ? 

(See : Kraitsir's "Glossology" page 12 ff.) 
The Author of the Alpha answers all these questions 
with : No ! and hopes his friendly reader does the same. — 
An experience of over twenty years has taught him the 
high importance of wholesome nourishment for the in- 
fant mind. •• Among all American School-books, hitherto 
published, such is not to be found ! None of them is pre- 
pared with sufficient reference to the laws of the human 
mind." *) This circumstance, sad as it is, gave birth to 
the Alpha of Education. The book is intended to lay 
the foundation of a rich culture in the intellects of young 
children. In how much the Author succeeded, time to 
come will teach us. For the present he is satisfied with 
the numerons good testimonials received from prominent 
literary men and practical teachers, from which the follow- 
ing few are selected and commended to the attention of 
the reader. — 



) See : Handbook of Anglo-Saxon Orthography by a Literary Asso- 
ciation, New York, Montgomery, in the address to the Readeri 



9 

Mr. Edward Wiebe of Holstein has submitted to me 
a book, entitled "The Alpha of Education", designed to 
instruct young children in the first principles of Grammar 
and prepare them for the natural and rational gram- 
matical system of Dr. K. F. Becker. After a careful ex- 
amination of the work I can gladly recommend it to 
mothers and other teachers of the young as an invaluable 
help to a systematic and pleasant course of instruction. 

Howard Crosby, 

Professor of Greek Lang. & Lit. in the University 

of the City of New York. 

New York, 1854. 

I have examined a work, prepared by Mr. Edward 
Wiebe, entitled "The Alpha of Education", and I am 
satisfied, that it is the production of a disciplined and 
accomplished mind. — The work is so peculiarly and in- 
geniously arranged, that thought must necessarily be 
developed, on the part of the young learner, at almost 
every step. — It will be an invaluable guide to those who 
are desirous of laying the foundation of a rich culture in 
the intellects of young children. — I sincerely wish Mr. 
Wiebe all the success which he so eminently merits. — 

Josiah Reeve, 
Principal of Public School No. 8. 

Brooklyn, 1854. 



PRELIMINARY ADDRESS TO THOSE WHO 

ARE DESIROUS OF MAKING THE RIGHT 

USE OF THIS BOOK. 

Reading, in one of its different significations, means 
the act of making audible, by virtue of the organs of 
speech, thoughts, which previously have been made vis- 
ible by printing or writing. — Since instruction in reading 
is one of the first mental occupations of our little ones, 
very much depends on its management. Especially it 
must be inquired : 

1. When to begin the instruction in Reading ? 

2. Which method to employ ? 

3. What material to make use of? 

Respecting the first of these questions it must be answer- 
ed : not before the expiration of the 6th or 7th year of 
the child, according to its mental capability and bodily 
strength. From that period, when the bodily organs of. 



11 

the senses are so far developed, that, by their activity, 
mental life is beginning, until the mental activity reaches 
such a point of perfection, that the real instruction of the 
child may begin, every child ought to be occupied ac- 
cording to the rules of the " Kindergarten" .*) Playing 
is the most natural occupation of children, and the na- 
tural impulse of imitation leads them to the first 
activity ; play and this natural impulse of imitation there- 
tore are made use of in the "Kindergarten", as the first 
means of Education. A child after having been educat- 
ed from its 3d until its tth year in a "Kindergarten", 
or, where these asylums of infancy are not existing, ac- 
cording to their rules, at home, will not only be prepared 
to learn Reading and Writing in six months, but its 
childish passions will be mastered, it will have acquired 
the impulse of extending and perfecting the faculties 
hitherto obtained, which then can become real cultiva- 
tion, provided, that the child be treated according to its 
individuality, and in accordance with the laws of nature. 
Such a foundation of Education undoubtedly must bear 
rich fruits for the whole duration of life of the individual 
and consequently of mankind. 
The answer to the second of the above questions : 



*) See Appendix. 



12 

"Which method to employ?" is easily found. — He, 
who hitherto has outraged the human mind by teaching 
to read, after the so-called spelling method, will know, if 
he has paid attention to his own and his pupils activity, 
that, after having taught the names of letters, the scholar 
was not at all enabled by this knowledge, to read. The 
ability acquired extended to having the names of letters 
in the memory only. That was all ! and this all, which, 
properly speaking, is to be called less than nothing, often 
was the result of a year's mishandling of the awakening 
human mind. — As the names of letters are of not the 
least consequence for the pronunciation of any word, the 
teacher having taught the names of the letters, had to 
mind a second thing, namely, to pronounce himself the 
words, spelled by his scholar, which pronunciation of 
every single word the scholar then was obliged to impress 
on his memory. Hence, learning to read, and being able 
to read, was a thoughtless occupation of memory only, 
and the best way for mutilating even the noblest mental 
disposition. — 

In pronouncing words we join the sounds of all, or 
some letters of which a word consists. If we now teach 
our scholars the sounds of the letters of a word to be pro- 
nounced, and teach them, that pronouncing a word is 
nothing but joining the sounds of its letters, they will 



13 

have no difficulty at all in reading whole sentences, the 
words of which consist of letters, whose sounds they are 
aware of. Pronunciation to them then is nothing but a 
logical conclusion, a consequence, which they, under all 
circumstances, without their teacher's assistance, are able 
to draw. 

This method of teaching to read is called after the 
Greek word : "Phone, sound", the Phonetic method, be- 
cause it teaches the sounds of letters. Can it, after these 
explanations, be doubtful, which method is the preferable 
one ? This improved system and method is, as Charles 
Kraitsir says in his Glossology, page 33, no fanciful spec- 
ulation, but an audible,: visible, tangible reality, which 
only those cannot hear, see, and touch, who are deaf, 
blind and callous by nature or education, or whose inter- 
est it is to maintain old abuses for pecuniary profit, and 
therefore prevent the public from obtaining light etc.*) 
We now may proceed to answer the third question : 
1 ' What material to make use of in teaching to read ?" So 
very much as our method differs from that, hitherto in use, 
so determined are we against the material and the form 



) vide Glossology, by Charles Kraitsir MD, New York, George P, 
Putnam, 10 Park Place. 1852, A book, highly to be recom- 
mended to any American desirous of assisting in the ame- 
lioration of the present educational systems. 



u 

in which it has been employed, respecting its contents as 
well, as its exterior. Our Alpha of Education does not 
contain any pictures. The phonetic method does not 
want this (as the Germans call it) ass'-bridge, for, read- 
ing after this method is no thoughtless occupation of 
memory, that often fails, it is a result of meditation, where- 
by all and every other help can be spared. The child, 
having learned the sounds of the letters u h-a-t", does not 
want a badly finished picture of the object, denoted by 
this word ; it will under all circumstances, by joining the 
sounds of the three given letters, pronounce the right 
w ord, because this, and nothing else, is the result of that 
operation, as certain as twice two makes four. — 

This is the first reason why we do not want any pict- 
ures. A second ground is the following. The pictures, 
mostly cuts or prints, put up in a very bad style, offend 
the taste, or sense of beauty of the children, and lead 
astray their intuitive power, or conceptive faculty, as it 
is totally impossible to represent all objects in accordance 
with their true measure. Can it give a right idea of the 
sun, moon, stars, houses, apples, bees etc, to a scholar, 
if he finds all these objects represented in the same mag- 
nitude ? He, who wants the child to have a true idea of 
the shape and size of objects, thus shown, is acting on 
as unreasonable principles as he, who teaches the names 



15 

of letters, wanting his scholar to pronounce the sounds 
of them. One suits the other perfectly, (one telling audible 
the other visible lies) one therefore must be extirpated 
together with the other, as inventions either of stupid or 
meanspirited scribblers, who either are unaware of the 
wants of the human mind, or premeditatedly assist in 
mutilating it in its very awakening. Horrible to say, but 
true! — Would ye, enjoying indepedence from any political 
yoke, not be willing to contribute your mite in freeing 
the most eminent in creation, the breath of God, the 
human mind ? Unless all of you unite to introduce a way 
in education more in accordance with nature, there can 
be no reasonable hope of real mental, moral and esthetic 
amelioration throughout this land of the so-called free ! 

Respecting the contents of reading material the chief 
maxim is, to give nothing, except out of the circle of no- 
tions of the child itself, words, denoting real existence, 
real action. The garden, the streets, the fields, the child's 
home etc., offer all we are wanting (see Part. II of this 
book) and we are not obliged to rove either into the re- 
public of letters or into the sphere of abstractions. What 
the child is to read, must be understood by it, must be 
understood thoroughly, if it is not so, it will injure the 
mind of the child, and harm, where it intended to become 
useful. 



16 

After these few lines, which we deemed necessary to 
point out the position we occupy, we proceed to the ex- 
planation of the Phonetic method in the following pages. 
This essay on this highly important matter is the result 
of the ardent wish to become useful in general, especially 
to those, whose destiny it is to enjoy the fruits of a better 
organized Society, of which we can be nothing but the 
longing harbinger.— 

Brooklyn, Dec. 30. 1854. 

E. W. 



INTRODUCTORY EXPLANATIONS. 

INTRODUCTION. 

§ l. 





The letters of the English Alphabet. 


Signs : 


Names : Sounds : 


A a 


a a (sound equivalent to its name) 


B b 


bee b ? 


C c 


see s' and k> 


D d 


dee d' 


B e 


ee e (sound equivalent to its name) 


F f 


ef >f 


S 


jee f and g> 


H h 


aitch a breathing forcibly before the suceed- 




ing vowel is pronounced. 
2 



18 
i (sound eq. to its name) 



J j 


jai 




j' 


K k 


kay 




k' 


L 1 


el 




'1 


M m 


em 




'm 


N n 


en 




'n 


o 





o (sound eq. to its name) 


P p 


pee 




P' 


Q q 


kyou 




k' 


R r 


ar 




'r 


S s 


ess 




'ss 


T t 


tee 




t' 


U u 


you 


you (sound 


eq. to ita name 


V v 


" vee 




V 


W w 


double you 


ou ( 


as in you) 


X x 


eks 


'g's 


and 'k's 


Y y 


ou-i 


ee and i 


Z z 


zed 




's 



§ 2. . 
These letters are either Vowels (voices, vocal sounds) 
i. e. simple sounds, formed by a continued effusion of the 
breath, and a certain conformation of the mouth, without 
any alteration in the position, or any motion of the organs 
of speech, from the moment the vocal sound commences 



19 

till it ends ; or Consonants (mutes), not sounding, unless 
connected to precedent or subsequent Vowels. Accord- 
ing to these explanations there are in the English Alpha- 
bet 5 Towels, to wit : 

a, e, i, o and u, and the rest of the letters are con- 
sonants, among which w and y are called Consonant- 
Yowels, being used sometimes as Consonants, sometimes 
as vowels. These 26 letters of the English Alphabet arc 
used as representatives of 40 distinct sounds by which 
all English words are expressed. — 

§3. 

a) Letters (vowels and consonants) are the first prin- 
ciples or elements of pronunciation, which form 
syllables and words. 

b) Pronunciation is the act or mode of articulating 
the sounds (not the names) of letters by the organs 
of speech. 

c) A syllable is a word, or part of word, uttered by 
one articulation. 

&) A word is a single part of speech. 
c) Reading is the act of pronouncing syllables and 
words, according to the sounds, contained in them. 

2 * 



20 



§ 4. 

Reading can be taught either by the Spelling-method, 
or the Phonetic method. The spelling method teaches 
the names of letters, the phonetic their sounds, and both 
of them intend to make the learner acquainted with the 
Pronunciation of words, which is, according to the above 
(§ 3) the act of articulating the sounds, of which a word 
consists. — 

The names of letters are not at all necessary for pro- 
nouncing words, but not the smallest syllable can be 
pronounced without uttering sounds of letters ; hence it 
must be evident that the phonetic method is the best 
suited to the nature of language and therefore the only 
admissible one. 

An instance. The word : "hoffi consists of three letters, 
the names of which are : 

1. aitch, 2. o, 3. double you. 

The spelling method teaches these three names and 
wants the scholar to pronounce the word so that nothing 
of these three names is to be heard. Is not that ridicul- 
ous? An other instance. The word : "queen" consists of 
5 letters. The phonetic method teaches : the word queen 
contains the sounds : 

k ? ou-ee-'n (see § 1.) Will this enable the learner to 



21 

pronounce the word rightly, or will it be easier for him 
to do so after having been told that the letters of the 
word " queen" are named : 

kyou, you, double e and en ? ! 

These few instances will be sufficient to convince any 
person, even of the most ordinary perceptive faculty, that 
no scholar will be able to pronounce a word, if the names 
of letters only have been taught to him, but, on the con- 
trary, very soon will be able to pronounce even the most 
difficult words, after being aware of the sounds of letters. 

It can not be too often repeated : In speaking we pro- 
nounce the sounds of the letters, of which a word consists, 
totally independent of their names ; of what use then is 
saying (as the spelling method does) the names of letters, 
previous to pronouncing their sounds ? — 

§ 5. 

Until the beginning of the 19th Century the spelling 
method only was made use of for the instruction in read- 
ing in Germany. Pestalozzi, Stephani and others, since 
that period, have cultivated and brought into repute the 
phonetic method, and no enlightened teacher will now 
be found, either in the northern or southern part of 
Germany, and in other parts of Europe, where the Ger- 
man Idiom is taught, who does not acknowledge its 



22 

superiority, although, in the beginning, it met with many 
antagonists. The English language, it is true, on account 
of its numerous anomalies, offers great difficulties for the 
application of the phonetic method. Nevertheless the 
author of this essay deems it no useless and unworthy 
task to make an attempt to banish the spelling method, 
and to introduce the more natural, phonetic method, 
which is the only one in accordance with the laws of the 
human mind and therefore the only one admissible. — 



PART I. 



EXPLANATION OF THE SOUNDS OF LETTERS 
AND MATERIAL FOR THE FIRST INSTRUC- 
TION IN READING:. 



PART I. 

Chapter I. 

§ l. 
Explanation of the Sounds of Letters. 

i sounds like i in mine. 

u „ „ u in muse. 

o „ ,,o in no. 

a „ „ a in fate. 

e „ ,, e in me. 
The sounds of the vowels a, e, i, o, u, are equivalent 
to their alphabetical names. After the learner has pro- 
nounced the sounds of these vowels, show him the signs 
of them and then teach him the sounds of the following 
consonants. 



26 



§2, 

'n and 'm 

In order to show how the consonant „n sounds, pro- 
nounce, and make your scholar pronounce, the word : 
"no !" very slowly. As the word no ! consists of two 
sounds : h\ and o, you have to spend as much time in 
pronouncing the first ? n, as in pronouncing the latter o, 
and your scholar will soon learn how to sound the 7 n. 

The name of this letter is to be spelled en, as done in 
§ 1. Every attentive observer will easily perceive that 
in sounding n, he presses the tip of his tongue to the 
gums of his upper teeth, breathing through the nose with 
the mouth open, and, which is the main point of the 
matter, omitting the vocal sound e, the first sound of the 
name of the letter n. 

Sounding ? m, close the lips and let the voice issue by 

the nose, omitting the vocal sound e, which is the first 

sound in the name of the letter m. 

Remark. The succeeding or anteceding ', joined to the 

signs of the sounds, indicate, that either 

before, or after sounding the letter, a vocal 

sound, necessary for spelling the name of 

the same letter, is to be omitted. 

After your scholar has pronounced the n in different 



words, commencing with this letter, showhim the n and 
tell him, that this is the sign for that sound ; then make 
him describe the shape of the letter n and then proceed 
to the sound and sign of the letter m. In order to show 
the sound of this letter, pronounce and make jour scholar 
pronounce words as : me, mine, meat &c. After having 
done so, (not before) show the sign of the sound m, and 
make the pupil tell the difference in the shape of m and 
n. Then proceed to the following exercises. 

na ni no ne nu 

mi me ma mu mo 
no ma ne mi nu ne me mo na ni nu mi mo 
mi ma mu mo. - — 

Remark I. As the scholar knows no other sounds of 
the vowels but those, taught in § 1. — he 
undoubtedly will pronounce them accord- 
ingly ; other sounds of the vowels are not 
to be taught yet. 

Remark II. After your scholar knows the sound and the 
printed sign of a letter, he must learn how r 
to write the written sign of it. A slate 
ought to be ruled for this purpose, and each 
letter written in as large a hand as the room 
on the slate will admit of. The exercises 



28 

in writing go together with those in read- 
ing, and, although the young pupil's imita- 
tions will not prove satisfactory, it still gets 
an idea of the form of written letters and 
will soon be able to write dictated words, 
consisting of letters hitherto taught. 

§ 3. 

v'— 'f. 

The sounds of these consonants are easily to be distin- 
guished by pronouncing the words : 

vale (val) a valley, and 
to fail (fal) not to assist, to neglect. 
Both of these words consist of three sounds, viz : 
vale : v -a- 1, 

fail : 'f-a-'l ; the last two sounds are the same 
in both these words ; their initial letters only have dif- 
ferent sounds, which are formed by pressing the upper 
teeth upon the under lip and then letting the voice go 
out, in sounding V, and a short blow, sounding ? f. — 

After enquiries about the shape of v and f, proceed to 
the following exercises : 

ve vo va vu vi 
f e f o fa f u fi 



29 

va vo fi vu fe fa ve fo vi fu no me va no 
mo fa na mi ma no. 

b'— p\ 

The words "bee" an insect, and 

"pea", a kind of vegetable or pulse, 
teach the sounds of W and p>. 

Act the same way as before in teaching the sounds of 
n, m, v and f, do not forget to speak about the sounds 
and signs of these letters, comparing them to each other 
and then proceed to the following exercises. 

be bo ba bu bi 

po pe pu pa pi 
po ba pe bu pa bi bo po pi no mu po bi 
ma nu be pu me ne mi ni mu no. 

§ R 

The words — "to do" — teach the sounds of the letters 
t and d. Act the same way as in the foregoing lessons 
and make the scholar sound : 



30 

da do di du de 

te to ta ti tu. 
no mu mi ni ne pu va fe be me da do ma 
no va fa ne po mo na ma ni fu ne vi ti to 
da te. 

§ 6. 

g'-j'- 
The words " Gig" (a kind of vehicle) 
and to "kick" 
show the different sounds of g' and k\ — 

The sounds of k and g (hard) are formed by pressing 
the middle part of the tongue to the palate near the 
throat and separating them some what smartly to form 
the sound of k\ and more gently to form the sound of 
g' (hard).— 

The sounds of g' (soft) and f are heard in the words j 
"Gem" and 
"Jewel". 
Make your scholar pronounce a good many words 
commencing with hard and soft g ? and k' and j' and then 
make him read the following exercises : 



31 

g' hard : ga go gu ; 

ka ko ki ke ku. 
g soft : ge gi ; 

jejoju. 

na me va fi bo pa du to to ga na ju ke ko 
na go ma fu ne ba pa ,jna nu jo ka bo na 
mi be no ve fo ma no pu ti nu bo no ne 
mo fu go tu ko ki mo ba. 

§ £ 
C, % z'— 

C (hard) sounds like k> — before : a, o, u ; 

c (soft) „ „ ? s — before : i (y) and e ; 

s, at the beginning of Syllables, sharp hissing sound ; 

z, flat s. 

Exercises. 

ca co cu ci ce sa so su si se za ze zi zo zu.- — 

na no ke ma ve ne me ko nu fo mo va na jo 

ma fu bo go ka no go pa ma bo pu tu da na 

ti ko ga ne mi nu ki na ba be bo mo ju po 

no ba bu mo no. 



32 

§ 8. 
'1.— 

The sound of this letter is formed by pressing the tip 
of the tongue to the guru of the upper teeth (somewhat 
more forward than by forming the sound of d and t) 
while the breath issues from the teeth. 

U — ove, P — ife, P — and &c. 
Exercises. 
la lo li le lu no bo ti ka ko za se me 
go na be si ne bo fa da ba mo su ve 
fi tu na ki ba bo ma fo ma po ka ko 
mo po zu zi ca ci co po so no ba me 
ni ma co ze me na. 

§ 9. 

There is no greater difference between the name and 
sound of any letter, than between the name and sound 
of the letter h 7 . Its name "aitch" has not the least 
similarity to its sound, which is nothing else but breath- 
ing forcibly previously to the pronunciation of any suc- 
ceeding vowel. 



33 

U H'— and, h'— ouse." 
Pronouncing these two words, it will be observed, 
that, in the former place only the syllable "and," is pro- 
nounced with a strong breathing previous to it, and in 
the latter the syllable "ouse" is pronounced, preceded 
by a strong breathing. 

Exercises. 
hu ha he hi ho ma ca ma ba za ka do ba ni 
ti fa vo ne si tu ka ki mo no ka fi go lo go 
zo na ce.po ba se ti za ma na li me su ve fi 
ta sa ba ta le lu ku na ci no bo me fi po pi. 

§ 10. 

The sound of this letter is a vibration of the tongue, 
caused by propelling the breath from the throat to the 
mouth. In sounding the letter 7 r the tongue ought to 
be kept at such a distance from the palate and teeth, as 
suffers it to jar against the former. 

The letter ? r never is silent, although its sound parti- 
cularly at the end of syllables and words, is frequently 
heard but little. A distinct pronunciation of this letter 
will prove very useful for a distinct pronunciation in 

3 



34 

general. Hence it is of the highest importance not to 
neglect, but to pay a particular attention to the exercises 
on this letter. 

Exercises. 
ra re ro ru ri pi po ri fi ta le mo na ta da 
mo go to lo na mo bo la pa fa vi ti za ca go 
lo pi na ve po ku ru ma re ha hi na go jo 
ba ta ka zo hu fu lo ba fi re ko ze sa ma ri 
lo sa cu re te vo la te la ro ma sa me na ra 
ku re po hu zu ho no lu lu fa no ma na. 

§ 11. 

q'. 

This letter has always the sound of k', is constantly 
followed by u, and its sound is heard in 
"Queen" (kw-ee-n). 

Exercises. 
qua que qui quo ra bo mo na ba sa qua ma 
re na la ve go fi cu sa que ho no me re jo 
po ha ta ro da fi vo ka bo te na lu na qui fa 
ta vo ze po ma quo no sa ko mi za ci po go 
ra hu po ro lo go ma ra me ku la re cu fa. 



35 

Remark. X, not beginning any English word, to be 
omitted in the exercises of this Chapter. 

§ 12, 
w— y. 

" W" is, at the beginning of a word, a consonant, at it^ 
end, a vowel, and sounds in both cases like the "on" hi 
the word "you". 

"w — ave, w r — ater". 
Remark. There is a difference in the sounds of w at the 
beginning and at the end of a word, but this clif- 
ference is so slight, that, for practical purposes, it is 
well to consider these sounds as identical. 

Exercises. 

wa wo we wi no nu quo ta la to no la pi vo 
ze qua we ku go ta pu so fa vo ra ra mo que 
to wo ke me po ra gu so na re qui bo da to 
wa ri mo ho po bo da ta sa ba lo mo bo do 
fa gu ho ke la mo na po qua ri so te vi wo 
za. — 

"Y", at the beginning of a word, a consonant, at its 
end, a vowel, sounds at the beginning of a word like y in 

3* 



the word "you", and at the end of monosyllables like 
i, viz. : 

why, by, my, thy &c. 

Exercises. 

ya ye yo my by te mo fa qua do fo ma na 
po to se we my. — 



Chapter II. 

In the first chapter all reading exercises consisted of 
two letters only. The commencing sound fin-sound) 
always was a consonant, the final sound ( Out-sound) a 
vowel in its alphabetical or natural sound. The exercises 
of this chapter are to be words, consisting of three and 
more sounds, and they are destined to teach the non- 
alphabetical sounds of the vowels; 
For inst. a like a in fat. 

e „ e ,, met 

i „ i „ pin. 

o ,, o ,, not. 

u ,, u ,, tub. 



3t 

Exercises. 

Short a. — bag bat cat dam fat fag fan gad gag gas 
has hat ham lad lag man mad ran rat sap, 
Short e. — bet net let met get pet set wet. 
Short i. — fin gin pin sin tin win. 
Short o. — dot got hot lot not rod. 
Short u.— but mud tub bud mug. 

§ 13. 
a long. — 

To be observed that e at the end of the following words 
serves to lengthen the a and therefore is mute. — Any 
letter not to be pronounced, is, in the following exercises, 
printed in Italics. 

Exercises. 

ape ale ate ace babe bake pale fame face tape tame lake 
lame lane lace made mate mane make rate game page wade 
wave shame spade snake blame plate place slate brave grate 
graze whale able table. 

Remark. Your scholar will be able to pronounce all 
the above words. The sounds of sh in shame, and 
wh in whale only are not yet familiar to him, and 
you therefore have to pronounce them before him. 



38 

§ 14. 
a short. — 
at an am ash bad bat bag pad pat pan fat fan vat van 
tax sat lap lad mad map mat man nag rat ram ran gat 
hat ham wag wax than that chat bath span plan flax 
flag glad brag add ass glass back pack jack damp lamp 
and band apple. — 

Remark. X sounds like ks. Explain the sounds of th, 
and eh, (tsh) which hitherto did not occur. 

§ 15. 
a middle.— 
are bark park lark dark march farm yarn barn harm 
starch parch mark. 

a broad. — 

al/ tal/ galZ smalZ halZ cal/ stalZ salt malt warm wa/k sta/k 
cha/k hawk crawl. 

§ 16. 
e long. — 
ine we ye be he she eve mete cede these. 

e short. — 
bed pet pen peg fed vex den ten set led let met men net 
red get hen yet web wet yes step ebZT egg bel/ tell sel/ 



39 

well bless when deck neck meddle nettle pebble vest nest 
west pelf self shelf held belt elm send lend mend spend 
lent wept hemp. 

e like ai in air. 
ere there where. 

§ it 

i long. — 

pie die tie lie ire ice bite pipe pike five file fine vine dive eUne 
tile time side life lime line like mile mine nine nice ripe ride 
hive hide kite wipe wife wide wine shine spine spite smite 
pride drive twine swine quite qui-et white bible mind kind 
bind. 

i short. — 

in it is if bid bit big pit pig fit fig fix dip did dim dig tin 
sin sit sip six lip lid gig him his hit wit win wig this ship 
chip chin pith with fish dish wish rich spin skim skip trip 
twig twin swim quit whip lisp mist disk gilt silk milk 
mint ink pink drink lift ring king wing thing spring 
middle little. 

i before r. — 
sir stir bird dirt thirst squirt girt first birth birch. 



40 

§ 18. 
o long. 

no go lo so ho wo foe doe toe roe hoe wo ode bone pole 
poke sole mope note nose robe rope rode hope hole home 
joke yoke stone slope globe gold. 

o short. 

on ox box pod pot fox dot lop sob sod sot lot log mob 
mop nod not rob rod got hop hot hog jot yon shop shot 
spot stop blot plot drop frog rock flock frock pond fond 
oft soft. 

o middle, 
do to move prove lose whose who whom. 

o broad, 
or for nor lord short horn storm fork horse. 

o like short u. 
dove love glove some done none son won. 

o like u before r. 
work word worm world. 

§19. 

u long (English), 
due hue use fume dupe duke tune lute mute mule tube june. 



41 

u short (English). 

up us bud but bun fun fur dun dug tub tug sup sum sun 
mud rub run gun hut bum jug hush such much snub 
plum pun buck duck struck dust must trust thrust dusk 
hunt pump jump stump turf dung. 

u long (German, like oo in : too, boot), 
brute rude rule truth. 

u short (German, like oo in : foot, book), 
put bull fulZ bush. 

§ 20. 

y long, 
by my thy shy rye try pry why dry. 

y short. 

ve-ry ci-ty la-zy sil-ly pret-ty sor-y safe-ty sure-ly (sure 
like : shure). 

long a e i o u before r. 
dare hare share mere here fire wire hire quire ore bore tore 
sore more wore shore pure sure. 



42 

§ 21. - 

ee. 

see weep steep sheep beef need meed sweet eel feel green 
week, cheek fleece sweeten. 

oi, oy. 
oil boil soil broil spoil join point joint moist hoist noise 
choice boy toy joy. 

OW, OU 
bow vow sow how owl howl growl town loud shout south 
eow r round hound house vowel sour pow-er flow-er. 
Remark, e in the unaccented terminations of pow-er, 

flow-er &c. pronounced, as if written pow-ur, 

flow-ur &c. 

ai, ay. 
wait pail hail snail main rain pay day say may hay play 
stay sun-day re-main air fair. 

aw, au. 

euve daw saw law raw shawl dat<m yawn da?6b muce 
tavght c&ught naught. 

00. 

too food boot root broom moon goose poor boor ; 
good wood foot wool book look brook. 



43 

ew. 

eyre few dew new hew yew hewn. 

ea. 

pea tea sea \eaxe read eat meat peat wheat lean speak 
beast teach ear hear near rear clear clean dear tear fear. 

oa. 

loaf toad load road boat throat foam oak soak roar soar. 

ei, ey. 

veil rein rein they prey grey their theirs. 

§ 22. 

Capital Letters. 

t. Y. u. U. w. W, 

p. P. b. B. r. R. 

t. T. f. E. 

n. N. m. M. 

s. S. 1. L. 

I j. I. J. h. H. k. K. 

c. 0. g. G. 
o. 0. q. Q. 
a. A. e. E. 

d. D. x. X. 
v, Y. z. Z. 



u 



§ 23. 

A-dol-phus.— Ber-nard. — Charles. — Char-lot^. — Clay- 
ton. — Da-vid. — Ed-mund. — Ed-ward. — E-liz-a-beth. — 
El-len. — Per-di-nand. — Fran-cis. — George. — Hen-ry. — 
John. — Kate. — Lew-is. — Ma-ry. — Mch-o-las ( ch=k ) . — 
Pe-tei\ — Rich-ard. — Ro-bert. — Sam-u-el. — Soph-y. — 
The-re-sa. — Ur-su-la. — Yal-en-tin*?. — Will-iam. — 



End of the first Part, 



PART II. 



A. 



INDICATING AND DISPOSING OP NOTIONS 
OP THINGS. 

Nowis. 



PART II. 

Indicating and Disposing of Ideas, the basis for the 
Formation of Notions. 



Indicating and Disposing of notions of Things. 
(Nouns.) 

I. 

I see around me many things or objects. In the sitting- 
room I see my parents, father and mother, my sisters 
and brothers, my grand-father, my grand-mother ; there 
are tables and chairs, there is a closet, a chest of drawers, 
a foot-bench, a clock, a stove, looking-glass and many 
other things. — 

In the bed-room there are beds, chairs, a wash-stand 
and a wardrobe. Things, which are used in sitting- 
rooms, bed-rooms and parlors are called furniture. — 



48 

In the kitchen are many things too. There is the fire* 
place, a range or stove, there is fire, there are ashes, coal, 
wood, forks and knives, dishes and plates, glasses, pans 
and pots, pails and other things. Things, which are 
used in a kitchen, as : dishes, pans, pots, pails &c, are 
called kitchen-utensils. 

Fire, wood, water, coal and similar things, are called 
materials. 

In our cellar is milk, butter, cheese, meat ; apples, po- 
tatoes, beets and many other fruits and vegetables, as 
parsley, cabbage ; onions are kept in the cellar also. 

In the school there are many children, boys and girls ; 
in the school there is a teacher also. The teacher in- 
structs, teaches, and the children learn from him. In 
the school-room there are still many other things, which 
the children make use of in learning, namely : benches, 
tables, desks, slates, slate-pencils, copy-books, pens, books, 
sponges, and sometimes a black-board. These things are 
called school-utensils.* 

In the street I see other things. On both sides of the 
street there are houses and sometimes trees. On the 



For this and several jti.Br words, not enjoying citizenship in 
the English language, hut contained in the "Alpha", the 
author claims the forhearance of his reader, 



49 



side walks men, women, children are walking ; in the 
streets animals running ; wagons, cars, stages moving. 
Besides these things I can still name many other 
things. My mother says every thing must be called by 
its right name. I do not know the right name of every 
thing. My parents call every thing by its right name, 
therefore I have to listen to what they say. 

The names of things are also called Nouns. This 
I will try not to forget. 

After your scholar has read the above, go into ;i 
conversation with him, similar to the following. 
Mother. Well, Fred, you have read something about 
things. The things, you were reading about, 
are seen in different places. One of the pla- 
ces, you were reading about, was called tho 
school. What things are said to be in the 
school ? 
Child. In the school there are boys, girls, a teach- 
er, benches, tables, desks, slates, pencils, 
copy-books, pens, books, sponges, a black? 
board, and a ruler. 
Mother. What is said in your book of those things, 

children make use of in learning ? 
Child. It is said these things are called school-uten- 
sils, 

4 



50 



Mother. Well, my dear! These things are called thus, 
because they are used in a school; just as 
the things, used in a kitchen, are called kit- 
chen-utensils. In passing through the streets 
you see different things. What things do you 
see in the streets ? 

Child. In the streets I see houses, trees, men, wo-- 
men, children, animals and wagons. 

Mother. What things do you see in the sitting-room ? 

Child, (names things, which he sees in the sitting- 
room). 

Mother. What things do you see in the bed-room ? 

Child, (names these things). 

Mother. How are those things called, which we make 
use of in a sitting-room, bed-room or parlor? 

Ch. Such things are called furniture. 

ML What things are used, and therefore kept in 

a kitchen? 

€h. In the kitchen there are pails, knives and 

forks, plates, jmns and kettles, 

M. And how are these things called ? 

Ch. They are called kitchen-utensils. 

M. What things, which you see in a kitchen, 

are called materials ? 

Oh. Fire, wood and coal are called thus. 



51 

M, Do you recollect, Fred, how that place is 

called, where fruits and vegetables are kept? 
<Jh, That place is called a cellar. 

M. Are any other things kept in a cellar ? 

Oil. Milk, butter and cheese are also kept in a 

cellar, 
M. Are these things, we have spoken of now, 

all the things you can name? 
Oh, I can yet name many other things. 

M. How must every thing be called? 

Oh. Every thing must be called by its right 

name, 
M. Does my Fred know the right name of 

every thing ? 
( h. No, mother, I do not ! 

Mi Would you like to know the right name 

of things ? 
lUi. Yes, Mamma, I should like it very much. 

M. Well, then, your parents call every thing 

by its right name, therefore you have to listen 

to what they say, How are names of things 

also called ? 
I'h. Names of things are also called Nouns. — 

It is well to be observed, that every thing, contain- 
ed ia the reading lesson, is inton'oven with the conver- 

4* 



52 

sation, no matter, whether it be done in the same sue- 
cession, or not. Let it not be neglected, that the child 
repeats part of the question in his answer, it is a ne- 
cessary proof of the child's understanding the question. 

After every reading lesson a conversation as the 
above has to take place, Nothing ought to be brought 
into it, with which the child is not acquainted; for, in 
that case, a child would not feel more interest in it, than 
you would do in a boot, written in any language un- 
known to you, or treating of a subject, which you axe 
incapable of comprehending. 

If your little one answered your question well, (he 
will do so, if your questions were conformable to his 
mind), then proceed to the next exercise. This is, make 
him write something corresponding to the reading les- 
son and the conversation. In this instance, make him 
write names of things, which he sees, 

Lesson L Write the names of 12 things on your slate, 
r ' Lesson IL Write the names of 20 things, which you 
see at home. 

Write after each of them a comma, and after the 
last one a period. 

Tour scholar perhaps will trouble you considerably 
in asking you how to write this or that letter; assist 
him as much as is necessary, and never, never become 



53 



weary in doing so! Be careful in laying the foundation! 
If you are careless, your scholar will become so in a 
still higher degree, and you will find him to foe so .as 
long as he Ikes. Therefore : throw aside all school- 
masterly principles, follow the laws of nature in devel- 
oping the natural dispositions of your child and it 
will become richly endowed in every branch of knowled 
ge and skill , and thereby be a useful member of a future 
better organized Human Society. 



IL 

Behind the house there is a stable. In the stable 
I also see many things. There I see the horse, the 
colt, the cow, the calves, the sheep, the lamb, the ox. 
the goat, the pig, ass, hens, chickens, roosters, geese, 
ducks, turkeys and guinea-fowls. These are living things, 
animals. 

In the garden I see many other things. In the gar- 
den grows the violet, the rose, the pink, morning-glory, 
the apple-tree, cherry-tree, pear-tree, peach-tree, c;.i- 
bage, salad, parsley; in the garden grow potatoes 
beans , peas , carrots , pumpkins , melons and tomato j.s. 
All these things grow out of the ground, they are calk d 
plants. In the fields I see other plants growing, s_: h 



54 



m : rye , wheat , barley , oats r turnips r peas and taret*. 
There clover grows also. In the fields I see the bird* 
fly, the horses run, there the krabs skip, the hare runs,, 
the farmer digs, plows and sows. If I am in the field* 
on a fine day I see the blue sky over me, I see the sun ? 
moon and so many, many stars, that I can not count 
them. I have seen how the clouds are hovering in the- 
air, how rain, snow and hail ax?e falling, how the fog* 
makes it dark by taking from us the lovely sun-shine, 
and how lightning flashes through the air. 

Conversation on the foregoing lesson. 

Lesson III Write 12 names of plants. 

Lesson IV. Write 22 names of animals,, which y&u 
liave seen in the air and on the ground. 



III. 

Every object has its parts. Parts of a horse are : the* 
head, neck, back, body and legs. At the horse's head 
I observe the ears, eyes, nostrils, mouth ; on its neck I 
observe the mane. Under the hoof I see the horse-shoe. 

The horse-shoe is no part of the horse's body, it is 
fastened to the hoof of the horse by nails. This is done 
by the horse-shoer. 

The parts of a tree are : the root, or that part of th& 



55 



tree, which is under ground ; the trunk or stem, the 
boughs, branches, leaves, blossoms and fruits. Trees, 
which give us fruit, are called fruit-trees ; trees, which 
grow in the forest, are called forest-trees. 

The parts of a house are very numerous. Walls ami 
the roof are the outside parts of every house. I enter 
the house through the door ; then I am in the hall ; from 
there I can go into the parlor, sitting-room ; down stairs 
into the basement, the kitchen, where there is the fire- 
place or hearth, or up stairs into bedrooms and to the 
garret. In the walls I see the windows, on the roof is 
the outlet of the chimney, through which the smoke gee- 
into the air. The opening in the roof by which we ea :.i 
get upon it, is called the scuttle, and that, by which tho 
light falls through it, and which is covered with panes, 
is called sky-light. The wood or stone under doors and 
windows is called sill ; the bottom part of a room or house 
is the floor and the open space before a house we call 
court. Some houses have no basement. Round the base- 
ment there is the area. Blinds or shutters cover the 
windows usually on the outside. On the piazza is a pleas- 
ant seat. 

Conversation. 

Lessen V. Write the parts of a cow. 

Lesson VL Write the parts of a book. 



56 



IV. 

Now look at your own body. The principal parts of 
the human body are : the head, trunk and limbs. 

Parts of the head are : the face and skull. The skull 
is covered with hair. Parts of the face are : the fore- 
head, nose, eyes, mouth, chin, cheeks, ears and temples 
I have two eyes. In the eye I observe the eye-ball, 
near the eye the eye-brow, or hairy arch over it, the eye- 
lid, or cover of the eye, the eye-lashes, or the line of hair 
on the eye-lid and the angle, or corner of the eye. 

With the eyes I see all objects around me. Sleeping, 
my eyes are shut, and then the eye-lids are closed. 

I have two ears, a right and a left one. With my 
ears I hear, what my dear mother, or other persons are 
saying to me. I have one mouth. The lips are the 
border of the mouth. In the mouth there is my tongue, 
the palate and the gums. Through the mouth I take 
meat and drink. With my teeth I chew and by the 
tongue and the palate I taste my food. Lips, teeth, tongue 
and palate are necessary for speaking, they therefore are 
called the " Organs of Speech." 

My nose is in the middle of my face. I breathe through 
the nostras ; the nose is the organ of the sense of smelling* 



57 



The head and trunk, or body are joined by the neck. 

The front part of the neck is called throat. The part 
of the body, from the neck to the stomach, is called chest. 

Its forepart is the breast. The joint, connecting- the 
arm and body, is called shoulder. The hinder part of the 
chest is called the back. The thigh is the joint, conect- 
ing the leg and body. 

Arms and legs are called limbs. The end of the arm 
is the hand. The limb, reaching from shoulder to hand, 
is called arm ; the angle, made by bending the arm, is 
called elbow ; I have two arms and two hands. The ex- 
treme parts of the hands are called fingers. The short, 
thick finger is called thumb. The fist is a closed hand ; 
the wrist is the joint, connecting the hand to the arm. 

With our hands and arms we can work, write, draw, 
sew and knit. 

The lower limbs are the legs. Parts of the legs are the 
thigh, hip, the fleshy part of the thigh, the knee, the shin, 
the calves, the ankle, the foot, the heel, the toes and the 
sole. The round bone on the knee is called knee-pan. 
I walk, run, jump with my legs and feet. 

The firm, hard substance, forming the frame of my 
body, is called bone. The soft solids of the body are 
called flesh and skin, the natural cover of the body. 
The small, thread-like substance, growing out of the skin, 



58 



is called hair. The hair of the chin and face is called 
beard. Nails are the horny substance on the extreme, 
upper sides of the fingers and toes. 

I see with my eyes, hear with my ears, smell with my 
nose, taste with my tongue and palate and feel with my 
whole body. Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feel- 
ing are called the five senses. 

Conversation. 

Lesson VII. Write those parts of your body, of 
which you have more than one. Thus : I have two 
( yes. I have ten fingers. 

V. 

The plants in the garden and in the fields grow out 
of the ground. Nature makes plants to grow out 
of the ground, as it produces in the ground different 
things, as : iron, copper, gold, silver, stones. Nature 
produces, without the help of men, plants, animals, the 
clouds, snow, hail ; sun, moon and stars are made by 
nature also. These things therefore are called natural 
objects. If we intend to make any thing, we need some 
natural object to do so. We then give another form or 
shape to the natural object. So we make many things 
of wood, iron, copper, gold, silver, stone, flax, cotton and 
wool. That, which a thing is made of, is called its ma- 



59 



terial. Of wood we make : tables, chairs, benches, tho 
ruler, doors, bed-steads, harrow, wagons and many other 
things. Joiners, carpenters and wheel-wrights work in 
wood. 

Of iron is made : the stove, the blade of the knife, the 
hatchet, the saw, the key, lock, the anvil, the horse-shoe, 
the chain, tongs and scissors are also made of this useful 
material. Black and lock-smiths work in iron. 

Of gold is made : money, finger-rings, ear-rings, watch- 
chains, breast-pins. 

Of silver is made : money, watch-cases, watch-chains, 
buckles, table and tea-spoons and many other things. 
The gold-smith works in gold and silver. 

Of stone are made : steps, bridges, mill-stones, grind- 
stones, flag-stones. The stone, of which lime is prepared 
by burning, is called lime-stone. Stone-masons and brick- 
layers work in stone. 

Of flax, cotton and wool different stuffs are spun and 
woven, and these stuffs are worked into wearing-apparel, 
which is so very necessary to us. Of flax, for instance,, 
the linen thread is woven by the weaver into linen, of 
which we make shirts, pocket-handkerchiefs and other 
things. The cotton and wool is spun and woven also 
by the weaver into different stuffs, of which we have our 
raiment made by the tailor or seamstress. The jacket, 



60 



cap, coat, waist -coat, pantaloons, cloaks are made of 
cotton or woollen stuffs. Tailors work and merchants 
deal in these stuffs. Things, which are made by men 
are called artificial objects or objects of art. 

Conversation. 

The matter, contained in the above lesson, may give 
rise to more than ten conversations with your child. If 
you are able to tell him something about the preparation 
of the flax, cotton, wool, the burning of lime, mining, &c», 
do so. There is seldom a child to be found, who does 
not like to be engaged in such attractive conversations. 

Lesson VIII. Write the names of 12 natural objects. 

Lesson IX. Write the names of 12 artificial objects. 

Lesson X. Write the names of 4 things made of 
wood, of 4 things made of stone, and of 4 things made 
of copper. 



VI. 

When the joiner or carpenter intends to make some- 
thing of wood, he needs a plane, saw, hammer, chisel, 
gimblet and a joiner's bench. If the smith is to make 
something of iron, he wants an anvil, bellows, tongs, 
hammer and various other things. The shoemaker, mak- 
ing shoes or boots of leather, the tailor, preparing our 



61 



clothes, of woollen, linen, cotton, or silk stuffs, want 
various other things in doing so. Joiners, smiths, shoe* 
maker? and tailors are called handicraftsmen, or mechan- 
ics, because they do the greatest part of their labor with 
their hands. The things, which they make use of in do- 
ing their work, are called their tools. 

People, who live in the country and cultivate the 
ground, are called farmers and peasants. They are called 
country-people also, because they are people, living in 
the country. Plow and harrow, whip and wagon, carts, 
spades, shovels and hoes are tools, which country-people 
use in tilling the ground, and horses, oxen, mules are 
animals, which assist them in doing so. 

Boys and girls, who go to school, are called scholars. 
The man , who keeps our garden in good order, who 
plants, sows and waters the plants and flowers, is called 
a gardener, and the man, who assists him in doing so, who 
particularly digs the ground, who does the hardest work 
and is paid for his labor by the day, is named a day- 
laborer. 

If children wish to live and grow, and, if full-grown 
persons wish to live and preserve their bodily strength, 
they must eat and drink. Things, which we can eat, 
are eatable. All eatable things are called victuals. 
There ape cooked and uncooked victuals, Uncooked,or 



62 



Paw victuals are, for instance : apples, pears, honey, 
cheese, batter, salt. Victuals, which we eat at our din* 
her, are usually cooked, or prepared in some other way. 
Things, which we can drink, are drinkable. Ail drink* 
able things are called drinks or beverages. Drinks are : 
water, coffee, tea, beer and wine. Brandy and all strong 
drinks are injurious to health and often make people sick 
and unhappy. The best drink for children is w r ater or 
pure, unadulterated milk. Meat and drink are called 

rood. 

liairiient is as necessary to us for life, as food. Rai- 
ment is also called clothing. Coats, jackets, waistcoats, 
pantaloons, boots, shoes, shirts, caps, frocks, and aprons 
belong to our clothing. In cold seasons we wear other 
do tiling than in warm or hot seasons. Clothing is named 
according to the season during which it is worn, either 
rummer, fall or winter clothing. 

Conversation, 

Speak about the difference between joiner's and car- 
penters work ; speak about the manufacturing of leather, 
silk, &c. Make your scholar describe the farming tools, 
after having shown them to him at any neighboring farm. 
One visit on a farm for this purpose pays better than ten 
visits at Barnum's Temple of Humbug, or the Minstrels, 

Show your child in your conversation, how the ruos* 



63 



necessary labor and usually hardest work, that meii do, 
generally is paid the worst, and, that they, who perforin 
and execute these things, enjoy the smallest share of the 
wealth, that is obtained by them. Thus you will lay in 
time a foundation for the cot) tempt of the unjust reward 
Of labor in the so-called civilized human society, now in 
existence, and, which would be better called organized 
Barbarism ! - 

Men eat, in order to live, they do not lite for the pur- 
pose of eating ; therefore we never ought to be intemper- 
ate in taking any articles of diet whatsoever. 

Many things are to be avoided, because they are in- 
jurious to health, particularly for children. Such as 
candy, nuts of every kind, which, by their oily substance 
act injuriously upon the larynx and spoil the subtle mem- 
branes and fibres-, those necessary requisites of an agree- 
able voice. — 

In conversing about clothing, make your child point 
out the difference between men's and women's clothing, 
difference in clothing of other countries, difference in 
clothing among rich and poor. The cost of one shawl 
of a lady of so-called high rank would clothe several 
families for years ! 



Lesson XL Write the names of handicraftsmen, who 
are laboring in building houses. 

Lesson XII. Write the names of gardening tools. 

Lesson XIIL Write names of plants, which serve its 
m food. 



64 



Lesson XIV. Write names of wearing apparel, used 
by men and boys, write names of such also, as are used 
by women and girls. 



TIL 

Men, horses, birds and fishes have been created, hence 
they are called creatures. All things, that can move 
spontaneously, that is, of their own will, and have feel- 
ing > are called living creatures. They are either men or 
beasts. Men are called persons also. 

There are many other things, which are not able t<j 
move of their own will, and which have no feeling like 
living creatures. Things, which cannot move of their 
own will, and which have no feeling like living creatures, 
are called lifeless things. Lifeless things, which are not 
plants, are called objects. 

Conversation. 

Lesson XV. Write 12 names of persons. 

Lesson XVI Write 12 names of animals. 

Lesson XVII Write 12 names of plants. 

Lesson XVIIL Write 12 names of lifeless things. 



65 



VIIL 

Horse, cow, sheep, ass, goat, hare, fox, lion, stag, toe, 
dog, poodle, cat, mouse, marten and rabbit are animals 
and have each of them four legs. They therefore are 
called Quadrupeds, after two Latin words, which mean 
four legs. The body of most of these four-legged ant 
mals is covered with hair and, when they have young ones, 
these suck their first food out of the breasts of their mo- 
ther. Hence they are called also: Sucking animals. 

Goose, lark, duck and pigeon are animals too. They 
have but two legs, are covered with feathers, called plum- 
age, have two wings, lay eggs, out of which they hatch 
their young ones and are called Birds, Hens, guinea- 
fowls, pea-fowls, canary birds, nightingales, robins, cat- 
birds, meadow-larks, orioles, mocking-birds, swallows, ra- 
vens, owls and eagles are birds too. Some of these birds 
can sing, and are therefore called singing-birds ; some of 
them live upon animals, which they either find dead, or 
which they catch alive, kill and then eat, and are there- 
fore called birds of prey. Some birds can swim and are 
therefore called swimming birds ; some of them like U) 

5 



66 



wade in muddy ground and on account of this quality 
have received the name of waders. 

When quadrupeds or birds are wounded, a red, warm 
fluid flows out, which is called blood. Quadrupeds and 
birds have red, warm blood. 

■ Haddock, pike, trout, herring, mackerel, roach, bass 
and salmon are animals too. This kind of animals can 
live in water only ; they have no legs, but fins, are cover- 
ed with scales and are called Fishes, Fishes have red 
blood, but it possesses no warmth, it is cold. 

Bees, wasps, hornets, flies, gnats, bugs, and beetles 
can fly like birds, but they are not covered with a plum- 
age, have six feet and do not sing. Such animals a* 
these are called Insects. Some insects are said to have 
more than a hundred feet. Some of them cannot fly, 
some of them have four wings, some tvo. 

Lessen XIX. Write names of 12 Quadrupeds. 

Lessen XX. Write names of 12 Birds. 
- Lessen XXI. Write 6 names of Fishes and 6 of 1xt~ 
eects. 



IX. 
Plants, which have a rcot urder ground, above it * 
wpody trunk, and, which Lave on the top of the truak 



67 



or stem a crown, are called Trees. Such are : cherry, 
pear, apple, plum, peach-trees, birch, fir, elm, willow, lin- 
den-tree, cedar and others. Some of them bear fruit, 
some do not. In accordance herewith trees are either 
Fruit- or Forest-trees. The latter grow in the forest, 
where fruit-trees are seldom found. Wood of fruit and 
forest-trees is used for building purposes (and is then 
called : lumber or timber), or for fuel. 

A plant, that has several thin, woody trunks, sprout- 
ing from one root, is called a Bush or Shrub. Currants, 
goose-berries, rasp-berries, black-berries, hazel-nuts and 
roses grow on bushes. 

Plants, which have no wood on them at all, but only 
stems, containing some juicy substance, are called Herbs. 
Such are beans, peas, potatoes, tares, tomatoes, melons, 
cabbages and others. We make use of a great many 
herbs as articles of diet. 

Tulips, pinks, daisies, violets and roses are called 
Floviers. They please the eye very much and perfume 
the air with their fragrance. 

Plants, that have a hollow, knotted stem, are called 
Ghrasses. Rye, wheat, barley and oats, besides mauy 
others, belong to them. 

Conversation, 

Lesson XXII. Write 8 names of Bushes. 

5* 



68 



Lesson XXIII* Write 8 names of Herbs. 
Lesson XXIV. Write 8 names of Flowers. 
Lesson XXV. Write names of Grasses. 



Definite and Indefinite 

Article. 

Singular and Plural Number. 

In the foregoing reading lessons your scholar haft 
learned a large quantity of names of things. He will re- 
member that names of things are called Nouns also. Be- 
fore the nouns very often the little words a, an, or the 
are found. Tell your child, that these little words are 
called articles, and that they are used in order to limit 
the meaning of the noun before which they are placed. 
If we wish to be definite, if we speak of a thing or things, 
mentioned or known before, we use "the" and call this 
the definite article. If we do not wish to be definite, if 
we speak of a thing, not mentioned or known before, wo 
rm "a" (or "an" before words, commencing with a vow- 
el or "h" mute), and call this the indefinite article. 

If we speak about a single thing, the name of it is said 
to stand in the Singular number. The siugular number 



69 



then is a form of a noun, marking a single thing. Thus: 
eye, ear, head, &c. 

If we speak about more than one single thing, the 
name of these things is said to stand in the plural num- 
ber. The plural number then is a form of the noun,that 
marks more thana single thing. Thus: eye-s, ear-s, lip-#, 
head-s, &c. 

The plural number in English is formed from the sin- 
gular in three different ways, viz. : 

1. By adding s or es. Thus: pen, pen-s; box, box- 
es. If the singular ends in /, or/e, the /is 
changed into v. E. g. : loaf, loa-v-es ; wife, 
vn-v-es. If the singular ends in y, with a conson- 
ant preceding it, y is changed into i. E. g. : 
lady, lad-z-es. 

2. By adding en. Thus: ox, ox-en. 

3. By a change of vowel, as: man, men; Wth, 
teeth, &c. 

Jfake the above the object of conversation between 
yourself and your scholar, and then make him write the 
following lessons. 

Lesson XXVI. Copy all the names of things, which 
you find in the first reading lesson. Write them in 
two columns, according to their being singulars or plu- 
rals; separate in the plurals the ending of each from the 



10 



wngular form. Thus : 






Singular. 


Plural. 


Singular, 


school 


sehool-s 




teacher 


teacher-s 






thing-s 


thing 




object-s 


object &c, 



The scholar has to read these nouns, stating how the 
formation of the plural number from the singular took 
place. 

Lesson XXVII. "Write all the names of things, con- 
tained in the second reading lesson ; place them in two 
columns, according to their having before them the defin- 
ite or indefinite article. Thus : 

Indefinite article. Definite article. 

Singular. Plural. Singular. Plural. 

A stable, stable-s ; the house, the house-s,&c. 

Lesson XXVIII Write 20 names of persons, who 
work for our food, raiment and dwelling, and place the 
indefinite article before the words. 

Lesson XXIX. Write the names of 16 natural objects 
with the definite article, singular and plural number. 



u 



Gender of Nouns. 

Man, boy, lion, stallion, are names of male object! ; 
such words are said to be of the masculine gender. 

The words woman, girl, lioness, mare, are names of fe- 
male objects, and are said to be of the feminine gender. 

The words chair, book, tree, rock, are names of ob* 
jects, that are neither male nor female,and are said to b* 
of the neuter gender. 

The gender of nouns is known : 

1. By separate words, as : man, woman, girl, boj ; 

2. By prefixes, as : man-servant, she-goat ; 

3. By suffixes, as : poet, poet-ess, lion, lion-ess, &c. 
After having made the gender of nouns the object of 

conversation between yourself and your child, let to* 
following lessons be written. 

Lesson XXX. Write 12 nouns of the masculine gender 
(being the names of male objects). Thus : 

Singular number. Plural number* 

A father, father-s 

a cock-pigeon, cock-pigeon-s, &c. 

ZwstfftXXXL Write 12 nouns of the feminine gender 
(being the names of female objects). Let them be thi 
females to the males of the foregoing lesson. Thus : 



72 



Singular. Plural. 

A father, a mother father-s, mother-s 

ft cock-pigeon, a hen-pigeon; cock-pigeon-s ; hen-pigeon-«, 

&c. 
Lesson XXXII. Write 12 nouns of the neuter gender 
(t)eing the names of objects, that are neither males nor 
females). Thus : 

Singular. Plural. 

X pen, a light ; pen-s, light-s ; &c. 



INDICATING AND DISPOSING OP NOTIONS 
OF QUALITIES 

Adjectives. 



15 



B- 

Indicating and Disposing of Notions of Qualities- 

(Adjectives). 

X. 

In the things around me I can observe how they are. 
Houses, for instance, are red, yellow, white, brown, gray, 
high, low, fine, old, new, strong, wooden, dirty, clean, 
narrow, small, spacious, cheap and splendid. All this 
words say how houses are, they speak about qualities of 
houses ; such words are called Adjectives, Adjectives 
then are names of qualities of things. 

If we want to know how a thing is, or what qualities 
it has, we have to look at it attentively. 

The leaf of a table can be : wooden, square, round, 
oval, smooth, polished, varnished ; the table itself can be 
high or low. 

Stoves are iron, black, air-tight, round, high, square, 
old, new, small, large, cold, warm, hot, glowing, hollow. 

Wood can be : hard, soft, tough, flexible, smooth, 



76 



shining, useful, combustible, light, heavy, wet, dry, young/ 
old, rotten, white, brown &c. 

Leather can be : flexible, tough, thick, thin, hard and 
soft, smooth and rough, black, red, brown, cheap, dear, 
useful, useless. 

Clothing can be : narrow, fit, costly, clean, simple, 
dirty, torn, whole, patched, woolen, linen, silk, cotton, 
dusty, lined, washed, dyed, brushed, ironed, old, new. 

The ground can be dry, wet, hard, soft, fruitful, bar- 
ren, cultivated, tilled, plowed, sandy, muddy, frozen, 
watered and manured. 

Water is liquid, cool, cold, warm, hot, frozen, sweet, 
fresh, dirty, clean, clear, deep, shallow, quiet, waving, 
undulating. 

Metals are bright, dull, heavy, light, hard, soft. 

Iron is strong, black. Gold is yellow, costly. A way, 
road or path can be straight, crooked, narrow, wide, 
paved, dusty. Rain is : wet, fertilizing, wished-for. 
Snow is : white, flaky, cold. Clouds are : dark, gloomy, 
flitting. The sun is : dazzling, warming, burning. The 
rain-bow is : brilliant, many-colored, arched. Light* 
ning is : flashing, vivid, sudden. The stars are : twink- 
ling, bright, shining. The weather is : cold, warm, 
rainy, dry, changeable ♦ Time is : fleeting, short, un- 
ceasing. 



■n 



Conversation. 
Lesson xxxm. Write the names of 12 qualities, which 
l room can have. 

Write qualities of a garden. 
u " of a house. 

" " of a horse. 

" " of a dog. 

" M of a good child. 

" how a child ought not to be. 
" the names of many children of 
your acquaintance and say how they are. Thus : 
Adolphus is diligent. Bertha is attentive &c. 
Lesson xli. Write names of animals and say how 
they are. Thus : 

Sing, number. Plural number. 

The ass is stubborn, ass-es are stubborn. 

The fox is cunning, fox-es are cunning. 



Lesson xxxiv. 

XXXV. 

XXXVI. 

XXXVII. 

XXXVIII. 

XXXIX. 

XL. 



XI. 



How is the tree ? 

The root of a tree can be : tough, knotted, winding. 

The trunk is : stout, thick, straight. 



78 



The bark is : rough, smooth, scaly. 

The branches and twigs are : flexible, tender, spread. 

The leaves are : green, faded, withered, indented. 

The blossoms are : fair, odorous, fragrant. 

The fruits are : ripe, juicy, refreshing, wholesome. 

How are the different kinds of grain ? They are high, 
low, yellow, waving. 

How can a handicraft's-man. an artisan, a work-man 
be ? He can I 
industrious, 



!, lazy, poor, wealthy, sparing, 



.:VERSATION. 

Lesson xlii. Write the names of qualities of th« 
human body. 



XII. 



Many of the adjectives, which are contained in th<* 
foregoing tesso the color of a thing is. Such 

adjectives are : white, Hack, blue, green, yellow, red, 
gray, brown, crii spotted &c. 

White are the following things : paper, chalk,- lime, 
snow, wool, cotton, the shirt, the table-cloth, the curtain, 
the collar and various other things. 



79 



Black are the following things : ink, mourning-cloth, 
the hat and the night is said to be black. 

Blue are the following : ink, the sky, the violet, corn- 
flower, ribbon, the eye &c. 

Green are the following things ; the grass, unripe 
fruit, the leaf, cabbage, salad. 

Yellow are the following : gold, sulphur, bee ? s-wax, 
the yolk of an egg, the ripe peach. 

The blood, the rose, tulip, the cheek, the apple, the 
cherry are of a red color. 

Ashes, the cloud, the blotting-paper , the stone, th* 
ground are gray. 

Brown are the following things : the chestnut, tha 
horse, the roots of trees, the frock, the face of an Indian. 

Many adjectives say how the form of a thing is. Round, 
blunt, pointed, long, short, narrow, square, thick, thin^ 
straight, crooked, hollow, smooth, and even are adjec- 
tives which say something about forms of things. Other 
adjectives say something about the material of which 
things are made. Such are : wooden, iron, earthen, 
lilver, gold, leather, copper, steel. 

Conversation. 

Lessen xliii. Write names of things and say how thef 
•j 1 © respecting their color. Thus ; 



so 



Sing. Plur. 

The tile is red tile-s are red Ac 
Zes&on xliv. Write names of things and say how they 

are respecting their form. Thus : 

Sing. Plur. 

The apple is round. apple-s are round. 

The egg is oval. egg-s are oval. 



XIII. 

Degrees of Comparison. 

A house is high. A tree is high. A steeple is high 
Here the adjective high says, that a house, a tree and % 
steeple have some degree of height. 

The house is high, the tree is high-er, the steeple ia 
high-est. Here the adjective high undergoes a changa 
in form, in order to mark different degrees in that qual- 
ity, which we call height. The house is said to possesa a 
certain degree of height. In comparison to the housa 
the tree possesses this quality in a greater degree, and 
the steeple, compared to house and tree, possesses tho 
quality of being high, in the greatest degree. Therefor* 
w$ may say, comparing these three things with each 



Bl 



other : The house is high, the tree is high-er, the steeple 
is high-est. This change in the form of the adjective is 
called comparison, as it is the result of comparing things 
with one another, respecting any quality to be found in 
different degrees in all of them. There are three degrees 
of comparison. The Positive, or simple and unchanged 
form of the adjective ; the Comparative, that form of the 
adjective, denoting more, and the Superlative, or that 
form of the adjective, denoting the most. 

The Comparative of adjectives is usually formed by 
adding : er to its positive ; the Superlative by adding ; 
tst, as shown in the above examples. 

Conversation. 

In this conversation lead the attention of your scholar 
to those adjectives also, whose comparative and super- 
lative degrees are formed by : more and most, less and 
least, and to those, having only positive, as : good, bad, 
evil, ill, little, much, and to those, having only compara- 
tive and superlative degrees, as : better, best ; worse, 
worst, &c. 

Lessen XLV. Compare different things to one an- 
other, and try to find out in what degree a certain quality 
is in each of them. Write, what you have found out, in 
comparing them, in the following manner : 

6 



82 



The side-walk is broad, the street is broad-er, the riv- 
er is broad-est. The melon is sweet, sugar is sweet-er, 
syrup is sweet-est. &c. 

Lesson XL VI. Write the same, as you did in the 
foregoing lesson, but begin with the superlative degree 
of the adjective. Thus : The river-s are broad-est and 
the street-s are broad-er than the side-walk-s. Syrup 
is sweet-est and sugar is sweet-er than melon-s. 

XIV. 



If I speak about a rainy day, it must be a day, which 
was distinguished from other days by much rain. The 
quality of that day was derived from the thing, which we 
call rain. In the same way the word, which denotes this 
quality, the adjective rainy, is derived from that word, 
which is the name of the thing, the noun rain. The 
form of the noun rain was changed into rain-y, by adding 
y. The same way we derive the word : 



ston-y 


from stone 


bog-g-y 


from bog 


hairy 


" hair 


rock-y 


" rock 


sand-y 


" sand 


hill-y 


" hill 


mud-dy 


" mud 


fog-g-y 


" fog 


air-y 


" air 


child-ish 


" child 


wind-y 


" wind 


tempest-uous 


" tempest 



88 



storm-y 

smok-y 

cloud-y 

sun-n-y 

bon-y 

hung(e)r-y 

dirt-y 

health-y 

shad-y 

water-y 

wood-y 

8tar-r-y 



Remark. The 11 nouns ; marked with a *, are, like 
the following, abstractions, and want exemplified 
explanations. Thus : 

A boy, who saves his play-fellow from being 
drowned, at the risk of his own life, shows the 
good quality of courage, and therefore is called 
a courageous boy &c. 

A thing, which is said to be black, is distinguished from 
other things, which are not so, by its black-ness. — A 
sick man is called thus, on account of his sick-ness. The 
state of being black, or being sick, is thought as a thing 
and the name of this state is called therefore a noun 

6* 



fron 


l storm 


vapor-ous from 


vapor 


it 


smoke 


courage-ous 


a 


courage * 


il 


cloud 


envi-ous 


ti 


envy* 


ti 


sun 


labor-ious 


tl 


labor* 


tt 


bone 


fear-ful 


(t 


fear* 


ti 


hunger 


use-ful 


tt 


use* 


ii 


dirt 


faith-ful 


tt 


faith * 


tt 


health 


peace-ful 


tl 


peace* 


il 


shade 


comfort-abk 


) " 


comfort* 


il 


water 


honor-able 


tt 


honor * 


it 


wood 


coward-ly 


tt 


coward * 


it 


star 


gold-en 


It 


gold 


compassion-ate from compassion. 


* 



84 



like the name of things, existing as such in reality. So 
•ick-ness is the state of being sick, as lazi-ness is the state 
of being lazy. 

As we have, a few lines above, derived adjectives from 
nouns, so we derive now nouns from adjectives. Thus : 



from 


from 


the noun : 


the adject, : 


the noun : 


the adject. : 


black-ness 


black 


dark-ness 


dark 


ahort-ness 


short 


small-ness 


small 


mild-ness 


mild 


idle-ness 


idle 


kind-ness 


kind 


dry-ness 


dry 


wet-ness 


wet 


hard-ness 


hard 


gtiff-ness 


stiff 


slow-ness 


slow 


low-ness 


low 


sly-ness 


sly 


polite-ness 


polite 


docil-ity 


docile 


sagac-ity 


sagacious 


modest-y 


modest 


obstin-acy 


obstinate 


honest-y 


honest 


brav-ery 


brave 


sincer-ity 


sincere 


eimpl-icity 


simple 


obedi-ence 


obedient 


disobedi-ence 


disobedient 


• prud-ence 


prudent 


wis-dom 


wise 


leng-th 


long 


streng-th 


strong 


dep-th 


deep 


warm-th 


warm 


youth 


young 


heigh-t 


high 


heat 


hot 



85 

Conversation. 

Lead the attention of your scholar to the mode of de- 
riving words from each other. Let him show how this 
is done in any instance of the above reading lesson and 
try to explain to him, by examples, as shown before, tha 
meaning of every word. 



INDICATING AND DISPOSING OF NOTIONS 
OF ACTIONS. 

Verbs. 



89 



C 

Indicating and Disposing of Notions of Actions. 

(Verbs). 



XV 

In the things around me I can observe, what they do 
and what is done with them, or what they are used for. 
I have seen what my parents do, what artisans do,or 
what mechanics are doing ; what animals do, what na- 
ture does. I myself can think, speak, answer, ask, read, 
write, count, cipher, draw, sing. I can see, hear, smell, 
taste, feel; I can eat, drink, sleep, cry, jump, run, dance, 
sew, knit. With all these words I say, what I can do, 
what I am able to act. If I am doing or acting some- 
thing, I am in action, and the words, which say, what I 
am acting, therefore are names of actions, or Verbs. 

I know what a teacher can do. He can sing, read, 
•peak, instruct, praise, punish, reward, blame. My mo- 
ther, who is my teacher, can do all the same and she can 



90 



also knit, sew, and do many other things. 

The peasant or farmer can work, dig, drive, sow. 

Carpenters, turners, wheel-wrights can plane, saw and 
screw. The smith can hammer, forge, shoe horses. Tai- 
lors and shoemakers can cut, fit, sew, rip, bind, peg. 

The merchant can sell, buy, store, transport, import. 

None of ' these ought to cheat, injure, lie, overrate, 
overcharge. All men are able to do some thing, there- 
fore they ought to do some thing. 

Conversation. 

Lesson XLVII. Write, what a good child does, what 
a good child does not. 

Lesson XLYIII. Write, what a servant>girl does, 
what a gardener does. 

XVI. 

I have observed what animals do, and what is done 
with plants and lifeless things. Animals can move, go, 
run, creep, swim, gnaw and bite, eat and drink. 

The horse can gallop, trot, pace, rack, canter, rear, 
balk, neigh. The dog can -bite, bark, watch, catch 
and draw. The bird can sing, fly and chirp. Plants 



91 



can grow, wither, flower. The water can rush, eddy, 
whirl, drown. The sun rises and sets, shines, dazzles, 
warms, burns. The rain pours, wets, soaks, fructifies. 
The wind blows, whistles, chills. The fog dampens, hides. 
The pigeon can coo, dogs bark, the pigs grunt and ser- 
pents hiss. 

Many actions of things we perceive by our sight, many 
of them by our hearing. 

Conversation. 

Lesson XLIX. Write 20 verbs, which denote ac- 
tions of animals, together with the names of these ani- 
mals. Thus : 

The cock crow-s, cock-s crow. &ct. 

Lesson L. Write 20 verbs, denoting actions of plants 
and lifeless things. Thus : 

The leaf fade-s, the leases fade. &ct. 



XVII. 

The verb : 'love' reminds me of a thing, that is loved. 
For instance : The mother loves — her child. The verb: 
'plant* wants a thing too, which is planted : the gardener 



92 



plants — the tree. The verb : 'mow* can not be thought 
of, without a thing, that is mown ; the farmer mows — 
the grass. There are many actions, which can not be 
thought of, without a thing, which is the Object of the 
action. Such actions are termed objective actions, and 
verbs, which express such actions, objective verbs. Verbs, 
which do not require such objects, are called subjective 
verbs. 

Subjective verbs are : go, run, creep, swim, neigh, sit, 
fall, bark, jump, arise, grow, flow, drizzle. 

Objective verbs are : plow, harrow, weed, sow, pluck, 
cut, bind, gather, thrash, cleanse, bake, spin, saw, kill, 
brew, catch, make, knit, darn. 

Conversation. 

Lesson LI. Write 12 subjective verbs. 
Lesson LII. Write 20 objective- verbs. 
Lesson LIII. Add an object to each objective verb of 
the 15th reading lesson. Write it thus : 

I ask a question. I write a letter. I read a book. 
I count the money. I draw a cottage. &ct. 



93 



XVIII. 

The farmer works in the field. The fish swims in the 
water. The bird fiies in the air. Boys halloo in the 
street. I play, in the garden. I run forward and back- 
ward. I go up and down. I remain at home. We are 
up in the day-time and sleep during the night. We arise 
in the morning and rest in the evening. The gardener 
sows in spring. The ground freezes in winter. The 
steamer starts early. Some children are always quarrel- 
ing. Mary reads attentively. The sick suffer pain with 
patience. A good child obeys quickly. The ice melts 
by the heat of the sun. I do not touch the basin for fear 
I might break it. He cried with pain. Fir-wood is use- 
ful on account of its flexibility. Vapors rise in the air 
by virtue of their lightness. 

There is not only said here, that actions take place, 
but there is indicated also the 'place ,where ? the &e, when? 
or hott) kng? and the manner, hew ? or the cause, why ?th# 
actions take place, or do not take place. 

Conversation. ' 



Lesson LIV. Add to the actions of the 53d lessoa 



94 



the place, where ? the time, when ? or how long ? and the 
manner, how ? they take place* Thus : 
I ask a question — modestly. ( How ?) 
I write a letter — this morning. (When ?) &ct. 

End of the second Part. 



PART III. 



THE SIMPLE SENTENCE. 



9T 



PART IIL 

The simple sentence. 

XIX. 

I can observe in things what they do, and how they 
are. If I say, what I am observing in a thing, I speak 
a Sentence. So I can say what I observe the horse is 
doing, or the pigeon, or how these animals are. For 
instance : 

the horse neighs, the pigeon coos, or 
the horse is brown, the pigeon is white. 

If I speak this, I speak sentences. In a sentence I 
name a thing, and then say something about it. The 
thing of which in a sentence something is said, is called 
the Subject of the sentence. That, which I say about 
the thing in a sentence, is called the Predicate, Subject 
and predicate are called members of the sentence. If I 
say something about one single thing/ the subject is said 
to stand in the singular number ; if I say something 
about more than one thing, the subject stands in the plu- 
ral number. 

1 



98 



I can say how things are* Sugar is sweet. Vine- 
gar is sour. Butter is yellow. Coffee is brown. Brass 
is yellow. Copper is red. Silver is white. Gold is yel- 
low. Lead is gray. Iron is heavy. Chalk is white. 
Gun-powder is black. Water is liquid. Glass is brittle. 
Grass r is green. Fruit is wholesome. Wine is refresh- 
ing. Bread is nourishing. Wood is useful. Gold is 
costly. Hair is thin. The sheep is stupid. The child 
is attentive. The dog is watchful. The ass is slow. The 
boy is sick. The girl is handsome. Grand-father is old. 

Men are diligent. Children are innocent. Roses are 
red. Flowers are variegated. Fields are green. Star? 
are sparkling. Mountains are high. Balis are round. 
Ravens are black. Figs are sweet. Mothers are ten- 
der. Fathers are careful. Children are careless. Bees 
are busy* Peaches are juicy. Kettles are made of cop- 
per. Dimes are made of silver. Swans are white. Stags 
are swift. Storks are long-legged. Poodles are faith- 
ful. Tables are square. Rooms are spacious. Walls 
are white. Violets are blue. 

Conversation. 

Lesson LV. Write 12 sentences, stating in each of 
them, how an animal is. Thus : 



99 



The fox is cunning. &e. 
Lesson LVL Write 12 sentences, stating in each of 
tkem, bow animals are. Thus : 

Foxes are eunnrag. &c 



XX. 



I can say, what a thing is, or to what kind of things 
it belongs. Milk is a drink. Bread is a nourishment. 
Meat and drink are food. Germany is a land. Brook- 
lyn is a city, Hoboken is a village. Cities and villages 
are dwelliug places. Iron is a metal. Metal is a natur- 
al object. Yard is a measure. Ounce is a weight. 
Plow is an agricultural implement. The Hudson is a 
river. The river is water. Water is a fluid. The apple 
is a fruit. The fruit is a growth. .The oak is a tree. The 
tree is a plant. The plant is a natural object. The rose 
is a flower. The fly is an insect. The stork is a bird of 
passage. The nightingale is a singing bird. Spring is 
a season. January is a month. Sunday is a day. 

Pinks are flowers. Flowers are plants. Potatoes 
are tuberous plants. Pigeons are birds. Birds are ani- 
mals. Horses are quadrupeds. Haddocks are fishes. 
Bees are insects. Houses are buildings. Buildings are 
artificial objects. Stones are natural objects. Figures 

J* 



100 



are signs of numbers. Letters are signs of sounds. Notes 
are signs of tones. Stars are celestial bodies. Organs 
are musical instruments. 

When I am saying about things, what they are, the 
predicate always is a Noun. 

Conversation, 

Lesson LVII. Write sentences in which you say, 
what the following things are : Slate, chair, kettle, but 
ter, meat, water, plow, anvil, harrow, wheat, grass, lark, 
cow, gnat, eagle, Charles, Mary, steam, Pianoforte, rye, 
plane, carpenter, bridge, &c. Thus : 

The slate is a school-utensil. The chair is a piece of fur- 
niture. Water is a fluid. Steam is an a-e-riform fluid. 
Grass is an herb, &c. 

Lesson LVI1I. Write many sentences in which you 
say, what things are. Thus : Flowers are plants. Flies 
are insects. Ducks are swimming birds, &c. 

XXI. 

I can say also what things do. Teachers teach. 
Scholars learn. Children read. Boys skate. Girls sing. 
Joiners plane. Tailors sew. Smiths forge. Gardener* 



101 



plant. Shepherds tend. Hunters shoot. Painters paint. 
Men reason. Parents order. Children obey. Thieves 
steal. Drivers drive. Farmers plow. Turners turn. 

Horses neigh. Sheep bleat. Dogs bark. Pigeons 
coo. Hens cackle. Cocks crow. Beetles hum. Fishes 
.swim. Snakes hiss. Dogs watch. Birds breed. Bells 
tinkle. Brooks flow. Waves roll. Chains clank. Can- 
nons roar. Strings sound. Doors creak. Flowers ex- 
hale. Nettles sting. Trees grow. Fruits ripen. Flow- 
ers blossom. 

Fire warms. Water flows. Salt seasons. Soap clean- 
ses. Gold glitters. Shade cools. Sugar sweetens. Sul- 
phur burns. Ice melts. Bread satiates. Snow falls. 
Warmth dries. Time passes. 

The husband works. The house-wife spins. The son 
ciphers. The daughter sews. The man-servant mows. 
The maid-servant washes. The farmer harrows. The 
cuckoo calls. The bird flies. The stork clatters. The 
horse draws. The ass carries. The wind blows. The 
lightning flashes. The hay smells. The sun lightens. 
The moon shines. 

When I say what a thing is doing, then the predicate 
is a Verb (a word, which denotes any action). 



102 



Conversation.. 

Lesson LIX. Write sentences in which you say, what 
a thing is doing. Thus : The star twinkles. 

Lesson LX. Write sentences in which you say some- 
thing about actions of things. Make use of the follow- 
ing verbs : learn, play, speak, listen, obey, care, sleep r 
swim, fly, fish, sail, call, fall, &c. Thus : Scholars learn,. 

XXII. 

If I say something about myself, I do not say my 
name, but make use of the little word I. For instance : 
I read. If a number of persons say something about 
themselves they do not say their names, but use instead 
of them, the little word we. F. i. : We read. Do I 
say something about the person I speak to, I always 
should call this person : thou ; f. i. : thou shalt read, 
but it is usual to call a person und persons spoken to : 
you ; f. L you are to read. If I speak about my fath- 
er, and have already mentioned the name of my father, 
so I do not always repeat this, saying something more 
about him, but use, instead of father, the little word he, 
F. i. : My father is not at home to-day, but he will be 



103 



to morrow. Speaking about my mother I use the little 
word she instead of always repeating the name of moth- 
er. F. i. : My mother is good, she loves me. Do I say 
something about a child, I need not always repeat the 
name of child, but I use instead of this, the little word 
it. F. i. : The child is sick, it sleeps now. Speaking 
about more than one thing, I need not repeat their names, 
but I say, instead of them : they. F. i. : Pigeons are 
birds, for they have feathers and lay eggs. The person, 
who is speaking, is called the first or speaking person. 
The first person calls him- or herself I, and, if they are 
more than one : we. — The person, to whom we speak, 
is called the second person, or the person spoken to. In- 
stead of the name of a person, or persons spoken to, it 
is said (thou and) you. The person, we speak of, is 
called the third, or spoken of person. For the name of 
the third person (if not being in the meantime the speak- 
ing or spoken to person) we use the words : he, she and 
it, and, if they are more than one : they. 

I write. We read. Thou cipherest. You cipher. 
He (Henry) plays. She (Caroline) sews. It (the 
child) weeps. They (the girls, the boys, the children) 
play. 

These words, which are used instead of the names of 
persons are called Personal Pronouns, 



104 



Conversation. 



Lesson LXI. Write sentences, saying in them some- 
thing about the first (speaking), second (spoken to) and 
third (spoken of) person ; use the following verbs : hear, 
live, go, see, speak, love, &c. Thus : I hear. You 
hear. He (Edward) hears, &c. 

Lesson LXII. Write sentences, saying something 
about persons or things ; use the verbs : write, sing, 
run, come, follow, call, and say what person is spoken of 
in every sentence. Thus : My mother writes a letter 
(My mother : 3d person, singular number.) 

XXIII. 

When I say : The child plays, I think, that the ac- 
tion of the child's playing takes place just now, during 
the time I speak. The two actions, namely the child's 
playing and my own saying, or speaking, are simultane- 
ous, or taking place at the same time. If I think the 
action, which I am asserting of any thing, to be simul- 
taneous with my assertion, the verb is said to stand in 
the Present tense or time. If I say : The child has play- 
ed, I then think that the act of the child's playing took 
place, before, or previous to my asserting it. and that it 



105 



has already passed. The time previous to my speaking, 
then is called the past time or tense, and as the action 
of the child's playing took place in thi^past time, 
the form of the verb, which indicates this, is called the 
form of the Past tense, and verbs with this form are said 
to stand in the past tense. — But : 

When I say : The child will play, I think, that the 
playing of the child will take place after my speaking, 
and the time to come after my speaking is, in compari- 
son to this, my present action, called Futurity, or Future 
tense. In sentences of this kind the verb is said to stand 
in the future tense. 

I hear, I have heard, I shall hear. 

I write, I have written, I shall write. 

You hear, You have heard, You will hear. 

He, she, it writes ; he, she, it has heard ; he, she, it 
will sing. 

We go ; we have seen ; we will die. 

They call ; they have eaten ; they will drink. 

Verbs denote actions, and by a certain form of the 
verb, the time also, in which the actions take place, is 
indicated. 

Conversation. 

Lesson LXIII, Write sentences, the verb of which 



106 



stands in the Present, Past and Future tenses. Thus : 
It rains. It has rained. It will rain &c. 
Lesson LXIY. Write sentences, stating what person 

is in them, and in what tense the verbis standing. Thus: 
The farmer has tilled the ground. (The farmer : 3d 

person, singular number ; has tilled: past tense) &c. 



XXIY. 

a. As we are able to judge or say, what a thing is 
doing, so we are also able to say or judge, what 
a thing is not doing. Thus : The sun shines. The 
tree blossoms. The scholar is attentive. The 
lark is a singing bird. The owl does not sing. 
The dead do not respire. Glass is inflexible 
( = not flexible). The bat is no bird. 

b. We are able to wish, that a thing may do or not 
do any thing. Might the sun shine ! Might the 
tree blossom ! Might the scholar be attentive ! 
Might spring coim ! Might Germany enjoy free- 
dom ! Might the lazy improve ! Might this girl 
not be so talkative ! 

c. We are able to will, that a thing is to do or not 
to do any thing. Thus : Scholar, learn ! Boy. 



lot 



be attentive ! Daughter, honor your mother ! 
Don't weep ! Sufferer, have patience ! 

#, We are able to ask if a thing does or is ? Thus : 
Does the sun shine ? Does the tree blossom ? Is 
the scholar attentive ? Is the lark a singing bird ? 
Does the owl sing ? Is glass flexible ? Is the 
bat a bird ? 

e . If we judge, wish, will, that a thing may do or not 
do any thing, or if we are asking if a thing does 
or is, or if it does or is not ? so we think and are 
forming a thought, an idea. 

/. Hence a thought either is a judgment, a wish, a 
command or a question. 

g. Thoughts are neither visible nor audible, we can 
not see nor hear them ; but they can be made 
audible and visible. If we'speak, we express our 
thoughts by audible words, if w e write, we express 
our thoughts by visible words. Hence, to speak, 
means : to express thoughts audibly by words, to 
write : to express thoughts visibly by words. 

h. A thought, expressed in words, is called a sentence. 
A Sentence is a Thought, expressed in Words. 

t\ Since a thought (f) either is a judgment, a wish, 
a command, or a question, sentences, being the ex- 
pressions of thoughts, must contain either judg- 



108 



ments, wishes, commands or questions. Thus : The 
boy writes diligently. Might the boy write dili- 
gently ! Boy, write diligently ! Does the boy write 
diligently ? 
k. A sentence, containing a judgment, is termed an 
affirmative sentence ; f. i. : The boy writes diligent- 
ly. A sentence, containing a wish, is termed an 
optative sentence ; f. i. : Might the boy behave 
well ! A sentence, containing a command, is 
termed an imperative sentence ; f. i. : Be diligent ! 
A sentence, containing a question, is termed an 
interrogative sentence ; f. i. : Does the boy write 
diligently ?j Sentences therefore are either : 
Affirmative, optative, imperative or interrogative 
sentences. 

Conversation. 

Lesson LXV. Write 12 affirmative sentences ! 
" LXYI. " 12 optative 
" LXVIL " 12 interrogative " 
" LXV1II. " 12 imperative 



XXY. 

Uoo'l children are diligent. Skilful workmen ars 



109 



wanted. Diligent people are esteemed. A health} 7 boy 
is strong. A sick person is unhappy. A cool evening 
is refreshing. A hot day fatigues. Good news is wel- 
come. Liberty is a valuable gift. The best recreation is 
a pleasant labor. A large fortune often is a larger mis- 
fortune. A useless life is worse than an early death. 

In these sentences either the subject or the predicate, 
or both of them, are determined more accurately or defin- 
itely by adding an adjective. A word, that is made use 
of for the purpose of determining any assertion in a sen- 
tence more accurately, is called Attribute. In the above 
sentences the attribute was an adjective. 

Conversation. 

Lessen LXIX. Write 12 Sentences, in which the 
subject is determined more definitely by an adjective. 
Thus : Barking dogs do not bite &c. 

Lesson LXX. Write 12 sentences, with adjectives 
determining more accurately the predicate. Thus : 
Spring is a pleasant season &c. 

XXYI. 

a. The motion of the sun is only apparent. The web 



110 



of the spider is delicate. The leaves of the tree lauv,. 
The flowers of the fields wither. The days of the summer 
are long. 

b. Sleep is a brother to death. Courage is contempt 
of danger. Flight is a motion of birds. Will is the soul 
of actions. 

In the sentences under a. the subject is determined 
more accurately by a certain form of the noun 
substantive, which is called the possessive case of the 
substantive and which, in English, is expressed either by 
adding the little word : of, or ? s. Thus : The web of the 
spider = the spider's web. In the sentences under b. the 
predicate is determined more definitely the same way. 

The attribute of the above sentences is expressed by 
a noun in the possessive case. Every possessive case an- 
swers to the question : Whose ? Thus ; The saw is a 
tool. Whose ? of a carpenter ; or : The si; v is a car- 
penter's tool. 

Conversation. 

Lesson LXXI. Write 12 sentences in which the sub- 
ject is determined more accurately by a noun in the 
possessive case* 

Thus : The institutions of Society are bad, &c. 

Lesson LXXII. Write 12 sentences in which the 



Ill 



predicate is determined more accurately by a noun in the 
possessive case. Thus : Pierce is President of the Uni- 
ted States. 

Lesson LXXIIL Write sentences in which subject 
and predicate are determined more accurately by pos- 
sessive cases of nouns. Thus : The institutions of society 
are against the laws of human nature. The Doctors 
prescriptions are good for the recovery of the patient &c\ 

XXVII. 

My (the speaker's) wish was modest ; my request was 
ardent ; my aim was good ! Your (the person's spoken 
to) understanding in clear ; your intention noble ; your 
doings crowned with success. His (a male person is 
spoken of) will is strong ; his faith is proved, his con- 
science narrow. Her (a female person is spoken of) di- 
ligence is not persevering ; her virtue nothing but show, 
her conduct hypocritical. Our (the speakers') friend 
arrived, your joy is great, our hearts are joyous. Your 
(persons spoken to) endeavours are not the right ones, 
your means but little, your success will not be satisfying. 
Their (persons spoken of) diligence earns, their frugality 
is evident, their fortune will be considerable. 
In these sentences the subject is determined by the words : 



112 



my, your, his, her, our &c. The words are called Possessive 
Pronouns, because they stand instead of the names of 
persons and in the meantime denote, that these persons 
own, or possess something. In the above sentences these 
possessive pronouns determine more accurately the var- 
ious subjects, they therefore are attributes of the sub- 
jects in these sentences. The attribute then can also be 
expressed by possessive pronouns. 

Twelve months make a year. Seven days make a 
week. Ten Cents make a Dime. Ten Dimes make a 
Dollar. Many men are proud. Some apples are sweet. 
Little money is wanted. 

In these sentences the attribute is expressed by words, 
which denote a determined or undetermined quantity 
and which therefore are called Definite or Indefinite Num- 
erals* Numerals then can be also used as attributes, 

Conversation. 

Lesson LXXIV. Write sentences in which possess- 
ive pronouns and numerals represent the attribute of 
subject or predicate. Thus : My father sent me twenty 
dollars. (My = poss. pron. of the 1st person, and attribute 
of : father, the subject of the sentence ; twenty = num- 
eral and attribute of the object) &c 



113 
XXVIII. 

The diligent employ their time. The prodigal wastca 
his fortune. Bad seeds bring bad fruit. Concord gives 
power. Avarice chokes all noble feelings. The work 
praises its maker. Need breaks iron. 

The verbs in these sentences are objective verbs. The 
things, which are the aim of the actions, denoted by these 
objective verbs, as : time, fortune, fruit, &c. are said to 
stand in the objective case. The things, which are the 
aim of objective verbs, are, as it were, passive, suffering 
the action, and therefore called the passive object. Such 
objects, completing the notion of the action, which we 
affirm of the subject by objective verbs, are called Com- 
plement. Such complements always answer to the ques- 
tion : Whom ? or What ? and are said to stand in the ob- 
jective case. Thus : The mother loves — her child. 

Mother=subject ; loves=objective verb ; her child, 
the object of love, = complement, standing in the object- 
ive case. 

Conversation. 
Lessen LXXV. Write 20 sentences with a comple- 
ment in the objective case. Thus : The dog watches tin 
house (the house is watched by the dog). The rain moist- 
ens the ground (the ground is moistened by the rain) &c. 

8 



114 

XXIX 

The child brings the book — to the mother: 

The boy writes copies — from the black-board. 

The mother devotes her time — to her children. 

To the mother- from the black-board- to her children- 
are neither subjects, nor attributes in the possessive case, 
nor complements in the objective case. What are they ? 

These nouns, together with one of the words : to, from, 
which are called Prepositions, show that form of the 
noun, which generally is called the Dative case of nouns. 
They complete the action and are therefore said to be : 
Complements in the Dative case. 

Conversation. 

Lesson LXXVI. Write sentences, containing a com- 
plement in the objective case, as in the last lesson. 

Lesson LXXVIL Write sentences, containing a com- 
plement in the Dative. Thus : The books belong -to the 
scholar. 

Lesson LXXVIII. Write sentences, containing com- 
plements in the objective and dative cases. Thus : The 
boy brings the flower to his mother. The flower=com- 
plement in the obj., to hismother=compl. in the dat. case. 



115 



XXX. 

THE SLATE. 

The slate is a school-utensil. It is longish, square and 
black in color. Its parts are the slate itself and the frame. 
The slate-stone is found in the ground, it is a natural ob- 
ject. The frame is made of wood. Wood is a material, 
which trees give us. The joiner makes the frame of the 
slate. The slate is an artificial object. We use the slate 
to write or cipher or draw upon it. 

THE TABLE. 

The table is a piece of furniture. It is high, square, 
and in color brown. The taMe has four feet, a drawer 
and a leaf. The joiner has made the table of wood. We 
can lay different things upon the table. We write, read* 
eat and drink at the table. 

THE HOME. 

I live with my parents in one house. This house if 
called my home. Houses are buildings. My house is 
iituated in the City of Brooklyn, in a street, which i* 
called Washington-Street. The house is built of stone. 
It contains several apartments, such as room?, chamber! 
and pantries. Under the house is a basement. The up- 
permost part of the house is called the garret. The 
walls and the roof are the outside parts of the house. 
My house is three stories high. 

8* 



116 



THE HORSE. 

The horse is a quadruped. It is sometimes in the sta 
ble, sometimes in the field, It is a noble, courageou* 
•nd docile animal. The color of horses is different, some, 
times black, brown, white, sometimes gray, bay or spot- 
ted. It has a broad neck, long head, on the neck a mane, 
& long, bushy tail, four legs and undivided hoofs. It caii 
run quickly, draw and carry burdens ; bite, neigh, and 
kick with its feet. It is fond of oats, bread and clover, 
but it is sometimes fed also on grass and hay. People 
pse to ride on horse-back. 

Conversation. 

Lesson LXXIX. Write thoughts as the above, about 
your rea3ing-bo. ok, and the chair you sit upon. Answei 
the following questions : What is the thing ? How is the 
thing ? What parts has it? What is it made of ? Who 
made it ? What is it made for ? 

Lesson LXXX. Describe the stove and the window. 

Lesson LXXXI. Describe a garden. Answer the fol- 
lowing questions : What is the thing, where is it situated, 
how is it in general, what parts has it, to whom does it be- 
long, what is its use, are there various kinds of it, what do 
I know, besides these, about the thing, which I describe ? 



End of the Third Part. 



Ill 



A RETROSPECT of the Alpha of Education. 

The alpha of education has conducted us over a wide 
and rich field ; let us cast a look across it. 

The Alpha of Educatiou made us acquainted with the 
various Sounds of English Letters, and this was done m 
such a way, as to enable the Organs of Speech to pro- 
nounce well the sounds of all Languages of the Earth.— 
Your scholar acquired that necessary ability, by which all 
Sciences are opened to us, which is the key to all Secrets of 
Knowledge, he became familiar with the Art of Reading. 
This ability was rendered a mental occupation, and, by it f 
the mind of your child was developed as far, as desirable 
for its age. — Your scholar, in the second part of the Alpha, 
Was led to look around, to pay attention to all things, that 
surround him. He became acquainted with the names of a 
large number of Things, he was taught to observe their 
Qualities, their Actions. He was introduced into that im- 
portant sphere, where man appears as men only-that of 
Thoughts. He was taught to THINK. He was taught 
to express his own thoughts in sentences, audibly and vis- 
ibly, he learnt to speak, to write.— And how did he acquire 
these faculties ? He did so in a maimer, that was inter- 
esting as well as fit for promotinghis cultivation. Besides 
this your scholar became acquainted with the Outlines of 
Grammar, and, these were taught to him on Principle*. 



118 



About which illustrious and eminent literary Gentlemen 
express themselves in the following terms : 

11 In this way Language becomes not a mere les* 

son for the memory, but a scientific study, affording the 
highest enjoyment for the mind. By this method, in 
studying one language we study all. When we recol- 
lect, that the study of language is the study of the 
mind's expression, and of the mind itself, through that 
expression (few studies can claim a higher rank than this), 
we must rejoice at every effort to facilitate, by system, 
the examination of so important a field &c." 

Howard Crosby. 
Prof, of Greek Lang. Sr Lit. N. Y. University, 

" I am happy in being able to say, that no work 

on this subject has higher claims to respect, and is so 
well adapted to give a true insight into the organic and 
philosophic structure of Language &c." 

John L. Chapman. 

Clintcnville, N.J 

A method to teach language, which can ? ;Ken of 

in such high terms, must be a good one u- is that gram- 
matical system, invented and developed by the German 
Linguist, Dr. K. F. Becker, which the author of the Al- 
pha is about to introduce among the American Public 
The Alpha contains the rudiments of this system, and 
erery child, instructed in Reading and Thinking after the 
mles, developed in this book, will be well prepared to pro* 



119 



iecute its linguistic studies, and will render them usef&f 
and advantageous to the mind. 

A second book, the u Lingua-Logic", written by the 
author of the Alpha,, according to the same principles, ii 
nearly finished and will soon be published. The Lingua- 
Logic is intended to lead the student further on his way 
to study Language, and in the meantime to develop all 
the faculties of his mind. 

The Alpha of Education and the Lingua-Logic have 
been refused by Publishers to whom they were offered 
for Publication, because, as they say, books like these, 
would not pay. Their author will deem himself richly paid 
if they are re eived friendly, and contribute their mite in 
the development of the human mind 



Appenmx. 
Page 11 of the Alpha the "Kinder-Gaerten" have been 
mentioned. Owing to their high importance, and for 
those, who are not yet acquainted with these Asylums & 
Infancy, the Subscriber adds the following lines, wishing 
they may meet the attention of such persons, as arc abli 



120 



to aid by their influence in the introduction of establish- 
ments where the germs of the infant mind are fostered 
according to the laws of nature, and where the founda- 
tion is laid for every quality, that distinguishes man from 
all those species of creatures to which he ought, accord- 
ing to the will of his maker, to be a superior being. 

The Subscriber will be happy if Parents, Principals of 
Schools, or Boards of Education would frequently apply 
to his experience in this branch of Education. Every 
hour, he has to spare, belong to them upon whose men- 
tal development the intellectual state of the next genera- 
tion is depending ; each application therefore, relating to 
"Kinder-Gaerten" will always find due attention, 

THE KINDERGARTEN. 

TO AMERICAN LADIES. 

The Kinder-garten intends to be a practical solution 
>f the highly important question: 

" What kind of treatment is conformable to a child's 
bodily and mental development during the second and 
third biennium of its life ?" 

There are, no donbt, but very few parents, who do not 
deem it a matter of great importance to lay a good founds" 



121 



tfcm for the bodily and mental development of their off 
spring ; but just as few there are, who are not obliged 
to confess their inability to fulfil this duty. Circumstan- 
ces of a different nature, often prevent fathers as well as 
mothers from taking care of their child themselves, and, 
where such hindering circumstances do not exist, insuffi- 
cient knowledge of the wants of body and mind of infan- 
cy, or total ignorance in this department of science are 
%o ba complained of. This impropriety, which has been 
and is of the most intricate consequences for generations, 
particularly advances its influence in that period of life, 
when the mental life of the child awakes, at about the 
beginning of the third, until the expiration of the sixth, 
or seventh year, according to the individuality of the child. 

During this period the child usually is not only de- 
prived of all real education, but also, inmost instances, 
exposed to dangers, the consequences of which are not sel- 
dom inherited from generation to generation. And yet 
the tender growth of the human mind, especially in this 
epoch, wants to be carefully attended to, in as kind and 
as circumspect a manner, as that, in which motherly ten- 
derness was bestowed on the physical prosperity of the 
newborn babe. 

Have you, my kind reader, ever had an opportunity 
of noticing the first beginning of mental activity I 



122 



As soon as the organs of senses and the brains of the 
child are far enough developed as to enter into any con- 
nection with each other, that is to say, as the brains are 
ready to receive, by mendiation of the organs of the sen- 
ses, especially those of the eyes and ears, the lasting im- 
pressions of things around it, it begins to pick up the 
names of them. Thus are names of things the child'a 
earliest notions, which are followed by names of quali- 
ties and names of actions of things. From that very 
moment, when the child brings one notion into any rela- 
tion to another, the mind commences its operations, the 
child begins to think. As soon as this, as it were; cry- 
atalization of mental substance, takes place, the child by 
it is rendered desirous of enlarging its treasure of notions, 
and this is done almost instinctively. Hence the innum- 
erable questions, the child in this period asks, from the 
very dawn, until the angel of rest shuts its eyes at night. 
What is ? How is ? and What does this or that do ? 
are the contents of all these early questions, and — happy 
the child, that receives answers in accordance with itf 
powers of comprehension. This exchange of ideas is the 
best exercise for strengthening its conceptive faculty, 
by which will be laid the foundation for a sound and 
sharp reasoning. 

To this early period of life, all of us are indebted 



123 



dther for the beginning of a happy development, of 
lamentable mutilation of our mind. On the treatment 
of the child in this important period according to the 
laws of nature, depends the whole success respecting ita 
ability or nonability, in time to come : nothing, of course, 
can then be more requisite than devoting the utmost at* 
tention to the child during this period of its life. 

This being a fact, it is a matter beyond question too, 
that our darlings ought not to be (as they usually are) 
entrusted to the care of persons frequently occupying the 
very lowest scale of education themselves ; persons, by 
whose ill-nature or bad humor the loveliest child may be 
perverted in a few days into a real young Mephisto, the 
spirit of opposition and contradiction, so that months, 
nay years may be wanted to extirpate so quickly ac- 
quired bad habits. 

But, do you ask, what can be done, if the father has 
to follow the call of his extensive business, and, the being 
delicate of this, or the housewifery of that mother, keeps 
them away from their children, although all of them love 
their little ones tenderly ? What can be done ?? 

The entirely satisfactory answer to this question is giv- 
en by the "Kinder-Garten", which, far from being a 
"School", is nothing but the "Common Nursery" of sev- 
eral families, who have united in order to have their littit 



124 



ones part of the day, or all the day, occupied in a^.man- 
ner, and under an inspection, more in accordance with 
the wants of children, than it could be done privately 
without the Kinder-Garten. 

In the Kinder-Garten no school-mastering teaching 
takes place. Unfolding of the bodily and mental pow- 
ers, enlivening of aesthetic feeling and of the desire for act' 
ivity, knowledge and perception, is its task ; in one word: 

"Harmonious Development of Pure Human Nature" 
is the praiseworthy aim of the Kinder-Garten. 

As the ground wants tilling previously to our entrust 
ing the seeds to the womb of mother Earth, so future 
life, for its important tasks, requires a well-prepared soil* 
in which pupils of a Kinder-Garten never will be deficient 

Playing is the most natural occupation of the child, 
and its natural impulse of imitation leads it to the first 
activity. Hence play, and the natural impulse of imita- 
tion, as the principle means of education, are made use 
of in the Kinder-Garten. By way of these two mediums, 
the child receives, according to its individual adaptedness, 
a treasure of notions, hears their lingual signs — the 
words — becomes acquainted with the use of the latter — 
i. e., learns to speak. As to correct pronunciation of each 
sound particular attention is paid in the Kinder-Garten, 
its pupils become well prepared also for the instruction in 



125 



reading afterwards. Exercising, in the meantime, it» 
bodily dispositions, the child practises, as it were, mental 
and bodily gymnastics together. Little songs diversify 
the life of the Kinder-Garten, and prove very advanta- 
geous for the development of keeping time, true singing, 
and of the organs of speech, frequently so badly neglec- 
ted. In short, the Kinder-Garten endows its pupils, with 
ail that is necessary and agreeable ; they leave this insti- 
tution healthy in body and mind ; consequently able to 
answer all clams which a well organized society in futuie 
life may lay upon them. 

The Kinder-Garten, in Germany, first established 
some fifteen years ago, bave been prohibited in their 
original form in that land of tyranical oppression, and 
their inventor has been driven from place to place in his 
fatherland, on account of his liberal mode of education. 

This is, in my opinion, the best commendation that ever 
could be given to the Kinder-Garten plan. 

The Kinder-Garten, then, are seeking refuge now in 
the land of the free, that afforded liberally a home to so 
many a refugee ; and the author of these lines, to whom 
the bodily and mental welfare of Heaven's loveliest gifts, 
"our innocent little ones," more than any thing else, clings 
to his heart, commends the above mentioned institution 
to the protection of American Ladies particularly, as he 



1S6 



kttowi by experience, that the hearts of the fair sex art 
more accessible for all noble and sublime feelings, thaa 
those of his own. 

In their native land the Kinder-Gaerten were first intro 
duced by the assistance of ladies ; be it thus also in their 
desired home of adoption. 

EDW. WIEBB. 



I2T 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



PAGI 

Instead of a Preface S 

Preliminary Address to the Reader 10 

Introductory Explanations It 



FIRST PART, 

Chapter I. §§ 1-12 25 

Chapter II §§ 13-23 3* 

SECOND PART. 

Indicating and Disposing of Ideas, 
the Basis for the formation of Notions. 

A. Indicating and Disposing of Notions of T lings. 4T 

B. " " " " " " Qualities. It 
C v " " ° " " H Actions, 89 



128 



THIRD PART. 

The simple Sentence - 91 



The Retrospect. ♦ Ill 

Appendix ; the Kinder-Garten. . . . . . .11$ 



THE END, 



S^. 




EDUCATION, 




EDWARD WIEBE 





BROOKLYN : 
OFFICE OF THE FLYING LEAF, 

1855. 







p.p. 






In presenting the Alpha of Education, its Au- 
thor begs leave to state, that the M.S. of his 
Lingua-Logic is nearly finished, and that he would 
be glad to meet with a person, interested in the 
study of language, according to the laws of nature, 
who would assist him in bringing out the book in 
a more superior manner, than he was able to do 
in publishing the " Alpha of Education." 

N.B. This Book will be forwarded to any ad- 
dress, on reception of twenty-five cents in postage 
stamps, letter post-paid and addressed to 

ED. WIEBE, 
Editor of the " Brooklyn Flying Leaf." 
Brooklyn, 1855. 












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